The Bear Ledger

The long-anticipated Banner upgrade will begin at 6 p.m. on the evening of Thurs., March 18, and the system will remain offline until Thurs., March 25. During this time, the system will be upgraded and tested.

Banner, the university’s administrative computing system, is a collection of business applications that support university functions. Campus “power users” have completed extensive pre-upgrade testing and have developed a post-upgrade testing plan to ensure that the university’s mission-critical processes come back online successfully after the upgrade.

Critical Dates:

March 16, 4:30 p.m.: Requisitions must be complete and approved.
March 18, 6 p.m.: Banner offline
March 25, start of business day: Banner online

The upgrade will cause a major disruption in the campus’ ability to carry on the day to day business. In order to make this transition as seamless as possible UCA has opted to close the campus on Mon., March 22 and Tues., March 23 to allow for Information Technology to install the new software. This will be a one-time Spring Break closing.

Employees will use the George Washington’s Birthday & Daisy Gatson Bates Day, both observed the third Monday in February, and one leave day for this break. The George Washington’s Birthday & Daisy Gatson Bates Day is usually used to cover one of the days between Christmas and New Year’s that UCA is closed. Employees may also use comp time in lieu of the leave day.

Affected Services
The following services will not be available during the upgrade:

Self-Service Banner – Class Schedule, Registration, Online Fee Payment, Admissions Application, Budget Inquiry, Requisition Approvals, etc.
Internet Native Banner – Requisitions, Receiving, Purchasing, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Travel, Transcripts, Admissions, etc.

Please plan ahead to ensure that open requisitions are not in the approval queue when the system is taken down for the upgrade.

Services NOT Affected

The following services will remain available during the upgrade period:

myUCA (except the Self-Service tab and the MyBanner channel)
Faculty/Staff Email
Student Email
Blackboard
Network Logins
Wireless Access

Questions?

For more information, email Lee Stevens at lees@uca.edu.

The annual Conway Chamber of Commerce Banquet will be held at the HPER Center on March 4.

Due to the time needed to prepare for the banquet and the number of guests attending the event, the parking lot west of the HPER building and approximately 325 spaces in the parking lot east of the HPER building will be closed to students, faculty and staff to accommodate a special event at the HPER Center starting at 5 p.m., March 3 and on March 4. These lots will reopen at 10 p.m. on March 4.

Vehicles remaining in these areas after 5 p.m. on March 3 will be subject to being towed at the owner’s expense.

For those displaced by these closures, parking will be available at the gravel lot south of the Physical Plant and at other locations on campus. Use of the shuttle system is encouraged to minimize the inconvenience.

The Division of University and Government Relations will now oversee submissions of events for the university’s marquee.

For your event to be considered for the marquee, you must first submit your event to UCA’s event calendar. UCA’s event calendar showcases important news and events designed to promote major campus happenings to the University and Conway community. Special events are selected from the calendar and featured on the marquee.

Events must be submitted to the University event calendar located at http://www.uca.edu/calendar/. No submissions will be accepted by phone or email. Events should be submitted at least three weeks in advance of event date. Organizations or businesses not affiliated with UCA will not be considered.

For additional information and guidelines, visit: http://www.uca.edu/marquee/.

The Staff Senate will hold a Constitutional Election on March 15 to allow the staff to vote on amendments.

The amendments would:

• Fix the wording for classifications because of changes instituted by the State of Arkansas in the classification system.
• Increase the number of representatives to a proportional share of staff members and address the changes made when Finance and Administration were combined under one vice president.
• Give the Senate power to nominate staff members for vacant positions, regardless of their classification or division.

Ballots will be disbursed by email to all staff members and will be available until March 18. This election is to allow the staff to vote on the recent amendments to the constitution that was approved by the Staff Senate on February 24. Those amendments are posted on the Staff Senate website at: http://www.uca.edu/staffsenate/documents/Constitutional_Amendments.pdf

Comments or concerns for the Staff Senate can be made to any senator or anonymously at: http://www.uca.edu/staffsenate/contact.php

In other business, the Staff Senate, after years of work and study, is proud to announce the availability of funds for the professional development of staff members at UCA.

A generous donor has created the Staff Enhancement with the UCA Foundation. The fund will allow the Staff Senate to distribute funds to individuals seeking to enhance their careers.

The goal of this fund is to provide reimbursements for conferences, licensing and testing fees, or professional development seminars, training events, or any activity that enhances a staff members’ career.

“There has been a great need for professional development opportunities for the staff at UCA for many years,” said Larry Burns, interim president of the Staff Senate. “I am grateful that the work of the previous Senates and Senate presidents has come to fruition. I hope that we can continue to build this fund so that the numerous professional development needs of the staff can be met.”

Burns said the staff, at all levels, deserves and requires career enhancement opportunities.

“I hope the University’s commitment to increasing travel funds for faculty can be extended to include comparable development funds for the staff in all areas,” he said.

Staff Senate Staff Development Committee is currently working on the guidelines for future disbursement of these funds. Disbursement is planned to start in the fall semester. While the guidelines are being created, the Senate has approved $2,000 in disbursements for the current year.

Some of these funds will be going to university training to support a new professionals event, a professional development speaker, and other training events. Additionally, funds were given to the Physical Plant to reimburse for licensing and testing purchased by the Physical Plant and to allow for physical plant employees to attend Office of Personnel Management training events. For a breakdown of the fund disbursements to date, visit: http://www.uca.edu/staffsenate/documents/professionaldev201010.pdf.

The Master of Arts in Teaching graduate program at the University of Central Arkansas is the recipient of the 2010 Association of Teacher Educators’ Distinguished Program in Teacher Education Award.

The national award honors outstanding teacher education programs that exemplify comprehensive and cohesive teacher preparation courses aligned with strong collaboration between local school districts and institutions of higher education in program development.

The program was recognized during the association’s banquet on Feb. 16 in Chicago.

Master of Arts in Teaching program director, Dr. Tammy Benson, and MAT faculty members, Dr. Nancy Gallavan, Dr. Gary Bunn, Dr. Lisa Daniels, Dr. Sharon Otwell, and two MAT graduates, Vivi Bradshaw and Jennifer Merritt, conducted a presentation about the program on Feb. 15 at the annual Association of Teacher Educators’ Conference.

“It is such an honor to receive this award which is the result of a joint effort throughout our college, the Professional Education Unit and the university and we gladly share this honor with our colleagues,” Benson said. “It has been a great privilege for me to work with the dedicated and talented MAT faculty and over 500 graduate students who have experienced this program. We have so many incredible students who have come back to school to follow their dreams to be a teacher and make a difference in the lives of the children they teach. Helping them to succeed in that endeavor has been a dream job for me.”

The Master of Arts in Teaching graduate program provides teacher candidates with opportunities to obtain an Arkansas teaching license, Benson said. The College of Education offers the five-semester program for individuals without teaching credentials who have earned baccalaureate degrees and want to become classroom teachers within a short period of time.

The program began in the fall of 2006 with 40 students. Currently, MAT has more than 300 graduate students enrolled in the program with 112 of these students currently teaching in Arkansas schools, many in high need geographic areas. This past semester, teacher candidates completed their internships in 52 schools throughout the state.

“UCA has worked with the state to meet the needs of its unique community,”said Thomas Lucey, chairman of the Association of Teacher Educators’ awards committee. “While meeting standards is important, how the standards are met is also noteworthy.”

Arkansas Council for Women in Higher Education Accepting Scholarship Applications

The Arkansas Council for Women in Higher Education (ACWHE) is accepting applications for scholarships. ACWHE offers three $500 scholarships, and one $750 scholarship. All scholarships are for women employed in Arkansas institutions of higher education who are working towards a graduate degree. The application process is easy and online. The deadline to apply is March. 31. For more details, visit: http://homes.hendrix.edu/acwhe/scholarship/scholarships.htm.

UCA Observatory Open on Tuesdays for Viewing

The University of Central Arkansas Observatory will be open the third Tuesday of each month for viewing Mars, star clusters, and nebulae through the 14-inch aperture telescope. The viewings will be available if weather permits. Stairs to the observatory are located in the front lobby of Lewis Science Center. Admission is free. For a list of UCA astronomy events, visit: http://faculty.uca.edu/saustin/Astronomy.

UCA Chapter of the NAACP Hosts March Leadership Conference

The University of Central Arkansas Chapter of NAACP will hosts its annual March Leadership Conference the week of March 1. The theme of this year’s March Leadership Conference, “Unleash Your Leadership, Impact The World” reflects the chapter’s desire to host a conference that encourages open generation of ideas to improve campus climate and create an inclusive work and learning environment. The event is open to faculty, staff, students and the general public. Conference topics are: “Women Leaders: Motivating, Cultivating, and Empowering,” March 1, 6 p.m. Student Center Room 213, Speaker: Cathy Davenport, owner of Davenport Consulting; “Empowering Men, Inclusive Communities,” March 2, 6 p.m.
Student Center Room 213, Speaker: Robbie Wills, candidate for Arkansas’s 2nd District congressional seat; and “Rising Above the Pressures of Leadership,” March 3, 6 p.m. Student Center Room 223, Speaker: Pastor E. C. Maltbia of True Holiness Saints Center, Inc. For more information, contact Dekevious M. Wilson at (870) 816.5298 or ucanaacp1908@yahoo.com.

UCA Care Bears Sponsors Relay For Life Events

UCA Care Bears Relay For Life team is hosting “Eat to Beat Cancer: A Dessert Extravaganza” March 2. The event features dessert chefs from local establishments. The event will begin at 11 a.m. in the East McCastlain Ballroom $5 or larger donations will be accepted. Auction of whole gourmet desserts begins at 2 p.m. Two representatives from the American Cancer Society will be available with information and to answer questions. Representatives from UAMS will be conducting Spit for the Cure research. All women ages 18 and older are invited to participate in a unique study benefiting breast cancer research. For more information, contact Donna Gladwin 450-3126, Connie May 450-3181 or Kathy Moore 450-5446.

2010 Spring Job Fair is March 3

The 2010 Spring Job Fair is scheduled for Wed., March 3 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom. Recruiters will be on hand to meet with candidates. Representatives from graduate schools in Arkansas, Texas, Okalahoma, Mississippi and Missouri will answer questions about their programs. For more information, contact Tiffany D. Johnson, Career Services at (501) 450-3134 or tiffanyj@uca.edu.

Broadway Musical Cabaret Slated for March 5

The University of Central Arkansas will host the Broadway musical “Cabaret”at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 5 in the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall. Tickets are available at the UCA Ticket Central Box Office. Tickets are $30, $32 and $35 for the general public, $27, $29 and $32 for seniors, $25, $27 and $30 for UCA alumni, $23, $25 and $28 for UCA faculty and staff, and $10 for all student tickets. For tickets, call (501) 450-3265 or visit www.uca.edu/tickets.

CPR and AED Training Scheduled for March 8

The American Red Cross is offering a CPR and AED training March 8 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Doyne Health Science building in Room 309. Cost for the class is $40. Spots are limited. For more information, contact Barbara Jackson at 450-3192 or bjackson@uca.edu

UCA Department of Writing to Host ArkaText in March

The University of Central Arkansas Department of Writing will host ArkaText, an annual literary festival that celebrates writing in Arkansas as well as the UCA community March 1 – 5. Guest speakers will talk to students about their works, answer questions and hold writing workshops. The festival will also feature student and faculty readings. All events will take place in Thompson Hall 338 and are free and open to the public. The festival will kick off March 1 with the student reading at 2 p.m. The faculty reading will take place March 2 at 1:40 p.m. On March 3, Gene Lyons will discuss creative nonfiction with a craft lecture at 11 a.m. and a reading at 2 p.m. Stacey Jay will talk about fiction on March 4, with a craft lecture at 10:50 a.m. and a reading at 1:40 p.m. Dusty Higgins will finish the festival March 5 with a discussion on graphic novels during a 11 a.m. craft lecture and a 2 p.m. reading. For more information, call (501) 450-5108 or terryw@uca.edu.

An Evening with Holocaust Survivor Margit Meissner Set for March 10

Holocaust survivor Margit Meissner will share her heroic story of survival March 10 on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas. The event, “An Evening with Holocaust Survivor Margit Meissner”, will begin at 7 p.m. in Reynolds Performance Hall. The event is being sponsored by the UCA Department of Philosophy and Religion, Department of History, College of Liberal Arts, Humanities and World Cultures Institute, PhiRe (UCA Philosophy and Religion Club), University of Arkansas Community College – Morrilton, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Active Shooter Disaster Preparedness Exercise Slated for March for March 11

An active shooter disaster preparedness exercise is slated for March 11 as part of the UCA emergency management planning initiatives. The exercise will run from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Minton Hall. This exercise will be one of the most comprehensive and involved emergency preparation activities ever held at UCA. The exercise will involve several different departments, student organizations, and other emergency first responders.

Caputo Lecture Rescheduled to April 7

John D. Caputo, the Thomas J. Watson Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Syracuse University, will present a lecture on April 7 in the Doyne Health Sciences Auditorium. His lecture will be entitled “What is Radical Theology? A Postmodern Proposal.” Caputo is a nationally and internationally acclaimed philosopher of religion, and one of the foremost interpreters of Jacques Derrida’s deconstruction and postmodernism. Caputo’s lecture is co-sponsored by the Department of Philosophy of Religion at UCA, UCA College of Liberal Arts, UCA Honors College, and the Norbert and Carol Schedler Endowment Fund. For more information, contact Dr. Clayton Crockett at 450-5506.

Sexual Harassment

Participants have the option of attending sexual harassment on-site or online at http://training.newmedialearning.com/psh/ucentralarkansas/choice.htm.

On-site seminars will be held:

March 11, 3-4 p.m., Student Center #213

April 15, 9-10 a.m., Student Center #214

Diversity

March 5, 2-3:30 p.m., Student Center # 215

March 9, 9-1030 a.m., Student Center # 215

March 30, 5:30 -7 p.m., Student Center # 215

New Staff Orientation

For non-faculty hired as of April 1, 2009:

March 19, 8-1 p.m., Student Center #213 and 214

Professional Development

March 10, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Brewer Hegeman Conference Center

New Professionals Seminar: The New Professional Seminar will be held March 10 at the Brewer Hegeman Conference Center from 8:30 a.m. to 1p.m. This seminar is open to new professionals 40 and under (full/part-time employment and graduate students). Participants will learn about effective leadership and communication, networking, financial planning and balancing personal and professional life. Cost is $10. The fee includes materials and lunch. For more information, contact Charlotte Strickland at chars@uca.edu or Haley Fowler at hcrafton@uca.edu.

March 15, 12-1:30 p.m., Student Center #213

Stress Management: Reesa Ramsahai will provide information on dealing with stress. The participants will take part in creative exercises to release stress. Lunch will be provided.

For three hours on a recent Tuesday night, the UCA Care Bears took over Pizza Inn on Hogan Road for a good cause.

Team members served drinks, cleaned tables and greeted customers with a smile in order to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Tips and a percentage of the proceeds from buffet sales were given to UCA Care Bears to be donated toward cancer research. With the support of colleagues, friends and customers, the team was able to raise $436.

The team’s goal is to raise $4,000 this year for Relay For Life.

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease, said Donna Gladwin, a UCA Care Bear team co-captain.

Gladwin got involved in Relay For Life about six years ago when her husband was the event coordinator for Faulkner County.

“Having lost family members to the disease, I relay to honor their memory,” Gladwin said. “My mother-in-law and close friends are survivors. I relay to celebrate their fight and hope that what we do will help others survive and that one day there will be a cure.”

Care Bear co-captain Connie May also became involved with Relay For Life for personal reasons. Her mother died from cancer in 1997. She was diagnosed with stomach cancer and it resurfaced 4 1/2 years later in her colon.

“She was always the health nut, eating the right things, walking five miles a day; someone you would never expect to come down with anything like cancer,” May said. “She knew there was a cure or possibility of remission just around the corner. She said she hoped she could live long enough to see it.”

May’s father also battled cancer twice.

“Thankfully, his was a much more treatable cancer,” she said. “Since both of my parents had cancer, my sister and I both felt very strongly about doing our part to help the American Cancer Society continue its research efforts to find a cure for cancer, and until a cure is found, we wanted to help those with cancer have programs and anything else they need that will make their life a little easier, to continue to give each one hope.”

May, who has been a member of Care Bears since 2005, said she wished more people were informed about Relay For Life and how the money raised can help cancer patients in their communities.

“Of course I’ve been involved for a long time, but it is still amazing to me that after all these years, most people still do not have any idea what Relay For Life is or what it does for so many families,”she said.

Individuals can get involved by joining the UCA Care Bears team or they could start their own team. It takes just 15 members to make a team. Stephanie Ramsey is the Team Development Chair for Faulkner County. Ramsey can be reached at faulknercountyRFL2010@yahoo.com or 329-2259.

The annual Faulkner County Relay For Life is scheduled for April 23 beginning at 6 p.m. through noon, April 24 at Estes Stadium.

Any individual who is a cancer survivor is invited to participate in the Survivors Lap at 6 p.m. on April 23. Relay starts with a Survivors Lap, an inspirational time when survivors are invited to circle the track together and help everyone celebrate the victories we’ve achieved over cancer. Sign up with your local team or contact Missy Schrag at mismav@yahoo.com.

Are you a volunteer in the community? Let us know. Send your information to vjenkins@uca.edu.

Dr. Jennifer Johnson, assistant professor in the Occupational Therapy Department, married Ken Moore on Feb. 6 at the Capitol Rotunda in Little Rock.

Debbie Rensel, administrative specialist II, received a bachelor’s degree in Game Art & Design from the Art Institute. She graduated with a 3.8 GPA. Rensel’s goal with this degree is to make video games.

Dr. Leonard Seawood, dean of Academic Outreach, has been elected to serve on the University Continuing Education Association’s South Region Board of Commissioners for 2011-2012. UCEA’s regions provide opportunities to reward excellence, examine issues of importance to continuing higher education professionals, and to network with regional colleagues. Organized into six distinct geographic areas, the regions reflect the specific interests and relationships unique to the members of the association in their respective areas. The regions serve to expand the services of the association to its members through the development of innovative programs, opportunities for the wide participation and in-service training of all levels of member staff personnel, improved inter-institutional communications and exchange of ideas, and establishment of consortia and inter-institutional cooperative efforts in the development of programs and projects designed to meet regional educational needs.The membership of each region is composed of the members of the association that are located in that respective geographic area. The South region include the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennesee, Virigina and the territories of Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands.

The Community Development Institute Central was nominated for the University Continuing Education Association’s Outreach and Engagement Community of Practice Award. This award recognizes members who have originated or enhanced successful outreach and engagement programs. According to the UCEA website, “Outreach and Engagement is the mutual exchange of intellectual resources and expertise between the university and its much broader external community of government agencies, businesses, nonprofit organizations, community groups, and individuals.” CDI is located in the Division of Academic Outreach and Extended Programs, and has been training community and economic development professionals since 1987. This year’s institute will be held Aug. 2-6 in the Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center. For more information about CDI, please visit www.uca.edu/cdi.

Academic Outreach is offering the following community education classes: Intermediate Bridge, Feb. 27, 1:45- 4:45 p.m.; Smart, Sensible Spending and Saving, March 3, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.; Become A Super Saver, March 4, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.; Boaters’ Education, March 6, 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Instant Piano for Hopelessly Busy People, March 10, 6 – 9:30 p.m.; Discovering Your Family History, March 17, 6:15 – 8 p.m.; Retirement Planning Today, I March 20, 9 a.m. – 12 noon; Retirement Planning Today II, March 23, 6 – 9 p.m.; Computer Cleanup Workshop, March, 23, 7 – 9 p.m.; Photography: Advance Your Skills, March 24, 6 – 7:30 p.m.; and Become A Super Saver!!!, March 25, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. For more information, contact Academic Outreach at (501) 450-3118 or at Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center, Suite. 102.

UCA’s school psychology programs were recently granted full approval by the National Association of School Psychologists.

NASP approval is a vital component of quality assurance and national recognition for UCA’s master’s and doctoral programs. The NASP approval is good until Dec. 31, 2014.

“Both prospective and current students know that NASP approval means that a program contains the course work and practical experiences necessary to become a competent practitioner,” says Joan Simon, program director. “It is this ‘stamp of approval’ that draws students from both in-state and out-of-state undergraduate institutions into our program.”

According to NASP, “School psychologists help children and youth succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. They collaborate with educators, parents, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments for all students that strengthen connections between home and school.”

The school psychology program at UCA is housed in the Department of Psychology & Counseling within the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences and is part of the Professional Education Unit that is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education Programs (NCATE).

The master’s program at UCA was started in 1970 and was granted initial approval by NASP in 1994. The vast majority of these graduates work in the public schools in Arkansas and surrounding states. The curriculum includes two years of full-time course work and a 1,200 hour supervised internship experience in the school setting.

UCA started its doctoral program in 2000 and was accredited by the American Psychological Association in 2006. Most of these graduates are now licensed psychologists and are employed in school districts, mental health clinics, the Arkansas Department of Education, private practice, or higher education settings. The curriculum includes four years of full-time course work and a 2,000 hour supervised internship experience, with at least 600 hours in a school setting.