“What am I going to do with my life?”
If you have advisees who are unsure of their major or career path, send them to Counseling Services’s Career & Major Decision-Making Drop-in on Wednesday, March 29 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on the first floor of the Smith Building.Students will be introduced to resources available at USC Upstate as they prepare to make decisions about their majors and careers. These resources include SIGI-3, an on-line data base that links students, values, interests and goals with specific majors and careers, handouts and books that provide information relevant to career exploration. Counselors will also be available to talk with students informally at this time.
Counseling Services is also available for individualized counseling for students who need additional support in making effective decisions about Majors and Careers. Students can contact Counseling Services at 503.5195 or come by suite 107 in the Campus Life Center.
 Technology Training Workshops
The following technology training workshops are being offered in Media 124. Contact Tom Davis at ext. 5502 or via e-mail to sign up. Please let him know if you are interested, but unable to attend a particular session so he can arrange to assist you individually.
Outlook Email: Beyond the Basics: March 27 10 a.m -11 a.m. Learn to do more than just send and receive email. Find out how to create your own mailing lists or groups, create and manage folders, archive or save messages permanently, create and manage your contacts in the address book, and use the calendar to schedule your appointments and set up meetings.
Intermediate Blackboard: March 28 1:15 – 2:30 p.m. Learn how to use the various tools and features of Blackboard in more detail and depth, including the Safe Assignment plagiarism tool.
PowerPoint: March 29, 2-3 p.m. Learn how to use this presentation software to create a basic presentation with text and graphics. Learn how to enhance a presentation appropriately with slide animations and transitions and to incorporate web site links, as well as sounds and videos. See how Breeze Presentation lets you add narration for online delivery.
Respondus Testing Software March 30, 1:15-2:30 p.m. This program lets you more easily create various kinds of tests and surveys to upload into a Blackboard or WebCT course. You can even import tests you have already created in a word processing program if they are in the right format.
Tutorials and Handouts - Tutorials and handouts for these and many of the other campus applications can be found on the network “S” or shared drive in a folder entitled Faculty and Staff ITS Info. In addition, online training continues to be offered for the most popular campus applications through a contract with Element K. This system is very convenient and easy to use. Lessons are offered in short segments which you can complete in ten to twenty minutes each. To enroll visit the web site: https://csd.sc.edu/ars/training/online.shtml) to read the participation guidelines and verify your employment to get a user id and password.
Online Workshops Available to Faculty and Staff
The following online workshops are available to USC Upstate faculty and staff who are interested in developing or improving their knowledge and abilities with regard to online education. They were paid for using our Faculty Technology Training grant from the Carolina Piedmont Foundation. While most last one to two weeks, participants have access to all of the presentations and resources for a month. Click the course link for more information and contact Tom Davis via email or at 5502 if you are interested in one or more of them.
Interinstitutional Collaboration - April 5-14. Online learning technologies have changed not only the way we deliver the curriculum, but also have opened the doors to inter-institutional collaborations in ways that never before were possible. Classes can now merge online across institutional boundaries to provide greater diversity, perspectives, economies, and opportunities to the participating institutions. Active learning collaborative opportunities exist with business and industry. A wide range of collaborations and models will be examined. Both pedagogical and technological issues will be addressed.
Transformative Curriculum Development and Assessment Practices for Online Educators: April 12-24. This is an interactive online workshop focused on transformative curriculum development and assessment practices for online educators. In the virtual classroom environment, the potential gap between intended curricular outcomes and actual instruction/assessment widens, requiring that approaches to curriculum design become more articulate and aligned to a program or institution’s learning goals. Further, when crafting an assessment, it is all too easy to take the path of least resistance; with many instructors relying on easily designed and administered assessment methods. This workshop will take you through some non-traditional design and assessment models that you and your colleagues can employ when preparing, delivering, and evaluating your online courses. You also will be provided with written publications on this topic. The discussion boards and live session will allow you to ask any questions you have of the presenters in both asynchronous and synchronous formats.
Moving the Laboratory Online: Practical Techniques for Utilizing Remote Instrumentation to Enhance Science Education: April 19- 28. Is it possible to create authentic and engaging “hands-on” scientific experiments over the internet using remote instrumentation? Can the internet be used to overcome some of the traditional approaches to lecture and laboratory teaching practice? How can we provide educators and students with shared access to instructional materials, expertise and modern scientific instrumentation to enhance the science learning experience? What are the implications of using remote instrumentation for research? The use of remote instrumentation is emerging as a legitimate alternative to the traditional "hands-on" laboratory learning experiences for teaching and learning in the basic and instrumental sciences. This workshop will provide participants with information on the mechanics of connecting instruments remotely, security issues, experiences from the field, curriculum development, collaboration, research opportunities and impact on student learning. Funding for the workshop is provided through a National Science Foundation CCLI- Proof of Concept grant (DUE -0341019)
Opportunities for Growth in Online Education: May 17- 26. In 2005, a team of Sloan-C researchers set out to identify opportunities for growth in online education and asynchronous learning networks. This set of workshops outlines the areas found. Each market is described in terms of size of opportunity, underlying trends driving each market and examples of how institutions are already taking advantage of each market. Markets include: baby-boomers, K-12 – AP Courses, international, corporate/industry partnerships, underserved undergraduate degrees with high demand, blended learning.
Regional Science Fair Attracts Aspiring Young Scientists
USC Upstate will welcome aspiring young scientists to its campus when it hosts the annual Regional Science Fair March 28-April 1. The Spartanburg Rotary Club raises funds to support the fair, which attracts more than 800 students, their teachers, and parents to the University each year. Participants are inspired to entertain new scientific ideas, create original technologies and bring a fresh perspective to the challenges facing our world.
The Piedmont Region III Regional Science Fair is a state-level fair that includes contestants from Cherokee, Chester, Lancaster, Spartanburg, Union, and York. The judging pool includes top local scientists from colleges and universities, from local research laboratories, and from industry. Dr. Lyle Campbell, professor of geology at USC Upstate, is the director of District III Regional Science Fair. Full story …
 Poetry Reading
Ryan van Cleave, Clemson Professor of English and poetry editor of the South Carolina Review, will give an open reading of his latest poetry on March 28 at 2:00 p.m. in the Campus Life Center (CLC - 319). Free to students, faculty, staff, and guests. (Sponsored by LLC)
PMBA Preview
The University of South Carolina Professional Master of Business Administration Program will host an information session, the PMBA Preview, on Tuesday, March 28 on the USC Upstate campus. This preview session is designed to give prospective students an overview of the program, including information about the admission process, curriculum and logistics. Speakers will include the director of the program, Dr. Tom Madden, and a current student or a graduate of the program. This event is free and open to prospective students. Check-in begins at 5:00 p.m. and the session will begin promptly at 6:00 p.m. in the University Readiness Center Great Room. For more information, contact Libby H. Shropshier, Professional MBA Program, Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina, at 803-777-6845 or e-mail her at Shropshier@sc.edu. For the full story…
Teleconference: “Cultivating Campus Cultures that Value Student Success”
On Thursday, March 30 from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. in the Rampey Center, join a teleconference sponsored by the National Resource Center for the First Year Experience and Students in Transition at USC titled “Cultivating Campus Cultures that Value Student Success.” The conference features Catherine Anderson, from Gallaudet University, John Gardner, from the Policy Center on the First Year of College (spoke at our First Year Student Convocation last September), and George Kuh, from Indiana University. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to hear first-hand these eminent scholars in the area of student success … and with no travel involved! There is no cost to participate. E-mail Cindy Jennings by noon on Monday, March 27 if you would like to attend.
 Retirement Party for Becky Querim
Please join the records office in wishing Becky Querim a happy retirement. Please come by the Administrative lobby on Friday, March 31 between 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. for a slice of cake and well wishes.
 “Women in … Sports” Brownbag Lunch Series Continues
The roles of women in sports will be the featured discussion topic at the sixth installment of the Women’s Center lunch series. USC Upstate’s own Athletic Department Coordinator, Traci Farrington, will lead the group which will meet in Hodge 155 at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, March 31. Full story …
Handling Those Difficult Conversations
Planning and Organizational Development is offering a workshop on Difficult Conversations with Others on Thursday, April 6 from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. at the Rampey Center. Highlights of the workshop will be keys for making relationships clear, four principles to use in difficult communication, creating the opportunity for real feedback, verbal and non-verbal cues, and giving feedback to others. Call Jeanette Reeves at ext. 5990 to reserve a seat. We have seating for twenty people.
Career Center Hosts Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Enterprise Rent-A-Car will be conducting interviews on Thursday, April 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Campus Life Center, room 309. Recent alumni and May 2006 graduates are invited to attend. Contact John Montemayor, ext. 5124 for additional information.
 Make it a Goal to Attend the International Soccer Tournament!
The seventh annual International Soccer Tournament will take place on Saturday, April 8 (rain date Sunday, April 9), starting at 12:00 p.m. at the Youth County Soccer Field on campus. In the past, participating teams included Germany, Mexico, Switzerland, France, El Salvador, Romania, Vietnam and Ukraine. The tournament is jointly sponsored by the Center for International Studies and the German American Club of the Carolinas, and is free to the public. Anyone interested in forming a team should e-mail Kathryn McLaughlin in the Center for International Studies or call her at (864) 503-5675.
Easter Egg Hunt
All faculty, staff and students' children are invited to an Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, April 8 at 2:00 p.m. in the Quad. There will be egg hunts by age groups and activities. RSVP to Cheryl Moore or call 503-5392 for more information. Sponsored by Staff Council, Women's Volleyball and Soccer teams. See the invitation for more details.
Outlook Training
Planning and Organizational Development is offering a class in Microsoft Intermediate Outlook. The course will contain tracking work activities using the journal, working with the calendar options, setting message options, sharing folder information, managing tasks, customizing Outlook, and locating Outlook items. The class will be held at the John M. Rampey Center on Friday, April 21 from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (with 1 hour lunch break). There is limited seating (8). Please contact Jeanette Reeves jreeves@uscupstate.edu to reserve your seat.
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The Spartanburg Area Conservancy (SPACE) recognized Dr. Gillian Newberry (biology) as the Harold O. Hatcher Volunteer of the Year at an event on March 14. She was applauded for her work to bring the Peter’s Creek Heritage Preserve into being, for making and maintaining the trails there, for saving the Dwarf Flowered Heartleaf at Lake Blalock, for compiling a list of 100 plants on the Edwin M. Griffin Nature Preserve, and for her work at the herbarium she created. 
Dr. Jeanne Kowalczyk and students, Jessica Clark, Tara DiMarco, Andrea Franco, Meri Gerges, Tiffany Kemp, Sam Subramanian and Nick White, presented at the poster session of the SC Academy of Science on March 10, at USC Columbia. Their poster concerned the cardiovascular research which they are doing, sponsored by funding from the Center for Undergraduate Research and the Teaching and Productive Scholarship. 
Mary Lou Hightower of FACS presented a paper “Interactive Art History: Masterpiece Theater” at College Art Association Conference in Boston, MA, February 24, 2006. She also had her watercolor accepted to the SC 29 th Annual Juried Watermedia Exhibition in Columbia, SC. The work is titled” Stain Glass Quilt” that incorporates the theme of quilts with 3D relief. 
June Carter won the 2006 Cervantes Award from the South Carolina chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese on March 18 at their semi-annual meeting in Columbia. The award is presented to college teachers who have been chapter members for ten years or more, have made significant contributions to Hispanic studies and who have served as officers of the chapter. 
Dr. Tyrone S. Toland served as an undergraduate research judge for the South Carolina Academy of Science Annual Meeting that was held at the University of South Carolina on Friday, March 10.
SunCom Spartan of the Week: Heidi Gibbs 
Amanda Rose Straub
