Submitted by: Vergie Jackson, vjackson7@uca.edu on 05/13/2026
T-Rec will be closed May 23-25 (Saturday-Monday)
Archives for May 2026
T-Rec Pool Update
Submitted by: Vergie Jackson, vjackson7@uca.edu on 05/13/2026
T-Rec Pool will be closed until June 29th
Griffin Planetarium Shows
Submitted by: Scott Austin, saustin@uca.edu on 05/13/2026
Griffin Planetarium shows this Friday May 15 and Saturday May 16 at 7:00pm: The one-hour shows this week includes a tour of the current sky, a flight around the universe, and the full-dome movie “Out There: The Quest for Extrasolar Worlds”. The planetarium is located in the Conway Corporation Center for the Sciences. Building will be unlocked by 6:30pm. Seating starts 10 minutes before show time. Admission is free. Seating limited to the first 94. No admission after the shows begin. No food or drink allowed.
Should You Join a Coding Bootcamp? Find Out in 30 Minutes
Submitted by: Leslie Coger, lcoger1@uca.edu on 05/12/2026
Thinking about breaking into tech—but unsure if a coding bootcamp is the right path?
In this 30-minute webinar, we’ll break down what it actually takes to succeed in a fast-paced program so you can confidently decide your next step.
With a 94% career placement rate, we’ve helped hundreds of students transition into tech—and we’ll show you how to determine if this path is right for you.
What You’ll Learn:
The traits of successful bootcamp students
What a real bootcamp experience looks like at Arkansas Coding Academy
Common mistakes to avoid
How to decide between self-taught vs structured learning
A clear framework to choose your next step
Who Should Attend:
Career changers exploring tech
Self-taught learners feeling stuck
Professionals unsure where to start in tech
Anyone asking: “Can I actually do this?”
Register Below!
Conference Presentation
Submitted by: Adriian Gardner, agardner@uca.edu on 05/12/2026
Adriian Gardner, School of Communication, and Julia Winden Fey, Director of Student Success, co-presented at the National Association for Academic Advising (NACADA) Region 7 & 10 Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, April 27-29, 2026. The title of the presentation was Academic Advising Collaborating with Faculty: Embedding Student Success Strategies in the Classroom.
Abstract: Are you looking for new ways to support your students and enhance their learning outcomes?
As educators and academic advisors, we know that student success extends beyond the curriculum itself. It involves how we structure our courses, communicate expectations, and integrate practices that support student learning, retention, and engagement in close collaboration with academic advising professionals.
This session is designed to provide practical, actionable insights to help you do just that.
Join us to listen and learn from a panel of seasoned educators and advisors who will share their valuable perspectives. This is a unique opportunity to explore how to successfully and seamlessly embed vital student success tips, strategies, and best practices directly into your classroom instruction. Educators will coordinate and plan these methods by working directly with student success and academic advising personnel.
You’ll leave with new ideas and concrete takeaways that you can implement immediately, supporting campus-wide faculty for successful students’ campaigns
ArCA Spring Fling: Tech Networking + Open House
Submitted by: Leslie Coger, lcoger1@uca.edu on 05/12/2026
Grow your circle and see what’s blooming at the Arkansas Coding Academy’s Spring Fling.
Join us for ArCA’s Spring Fling—an open house and networking event designed to bring together aspiring technologists, alumni, and industry professionals.
Drop in anytime to meet instructors, connect with the local tech community, and get a firsthand look at what makes Arkansas Coding Academy unique.
Whether you’re exploring a career in tech or looking to grow your network, this is a relaxed, welcoming way to get plugged in.
What You’ll Experience
Conversations with instructors about curriculum and student support
Insights into the Arkansas tech job market and hiring trends
Real stories and advice from ArCA alumni
Opportunities to connect with peers and industry professionals
Who Should Attend
Prospective students exploring tech careers
ArCA alumni and current students
Industry professionals and community partners
Anyone interested in Arkansas’s growing tech scene
Register Below!
Brightspace Office Hours
Submitted by: Tonya McKinney, tmckinne@uca.edu on 05/11/2026
The offices of Instructional Technology and CETAL will hold open office hours during the first few days of May Intersession to assist all faculty with Brightspace issues. Feel free to join us on Zoom between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm at https://uca-edu.zoom.us/j/81641299846
🆕 Take Your Brightspace Skills to the Next Level: Special Topics Training in May
Submitted by: Jennifer Brewer, jbrewer1@uca.edu on 05/11/2026
Take Your Brightspace Skills to the Next Level: Special Topics Faculty Training in May
Ready to go beyond the basics? CETAL is offering a series of focused, one-hour Brightspace sessions on special topics designed to help you build more intentional, efficient, and student-centered courses.
Each session dives into a specific topic with practical, hands-on strategies you can apply right away—whether you’re customizing your gradebook, streamlining course organization, or creating personalized pathways for your students.
View Full Session Details and Descriptions
Click the link above for full session descriptions, or scroll below for dates and quick overviews.
Upcoming Topics
Release Conditions – Guide student progress and control access to content with simple, high-impact setup strategies.
Dates:
- May 12 at 1:30 pm on ZOOM
Weighted Gradebooks & Specifications Grading – Design grading systems that clearly reflect your course structure and simplify what students see.
Dates:
- May 14 at 9:00 am on ZOOM
Your Content, Amplified: Video Tools in Brightspace D2L – Explore Kaltura Media, Video Note, and YouTube to create engaging video content and feedback.
Dates:
- May 12 at 11:00 am
- May 13 at 9:00 am on ZOOM
Intelligent Agents for Student Success – Use automation to send timely messages, support students, and extend your teaching presence.
Dates:
- May 13 at 3:00 pm on ZOOM
- May 14 at 1:00 pm
Creating a Consistent Learning Experience with Page Templates – Design clean, accessible, and visually consistent course content using ready-to-use templates.
Dates:
- May 12 at 10:00 am
- May 13 at 1:00 pm on ZOOM
Whether you attend one session or several, you’ll leave with clear, practical ideas to enhance your course design and support student success.
Register Here!
Final Home Baseball Series of the Season
Submitted by: Kristen Oitker, koitker1@uca.edu on 05/11/2026
Join us at Bear Stadium for the final home ASUN series of the regular season! Thursday (6 PM), Friday (6 PM) – Graduation Ceremony approx 5:45 PM on the field, and Saturday (1 PM) Senior Recognition approx. 12:45 PM. It’s a big time matchup in Conway as the Lipscomb Bisons come to town. Get your four free faculty/staff tickets with the link!
Congratulations to our 2026-2027 LEAD Cohort!
Submitted by: Aleighla Webb, awebb@uca.edu on 05/07/2026
Please help us congratulate our 2026-2027 LEAD Cohort! These employees have volunteered to grow professionally and personally this upcoming year, thus contributing to the UCA culture in a positive manner!
Bundrick, Olivia
Dickinson, Leila
Foreman, Gabriel
Freed, Allison
Head, Tiffany
Headley, Sarah
Jackson, Vergie
Kuebel, Christa
Lawton, Saadia N.
Lusk, Jeremy
McDaniel, Thomas
Musso, Nathan
Otoo, Brigid Appiah
Ott, Sandra
Peel, Christy
Polovtsev, Gleb
Railsback, Emily
Regehr, Kendra
Smith, Matt
Sumner-Wheeler, Nicole
Swaffer, Nathan
Tcheutou, Arnaud
Walthall, Brandy
Webb, Aleighla
Wile, Logan
