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USC Upstate Site for Advanced Placement Graduate Institutes This Summer
The School of Education at USC Upstate has been selected to offer Advanced Placement (AP) Graduate Institute for Spanish Language and Studio Art. The South Carolina General Assembly has allocated funds to the South Carolina Department of Education (SDE) to support the state’s Advanced Placement Program. These funds are distributed on a competitive basis, with proposals reviewed by the SDE and College Board. USC Upstate is offering the only AP Studio Art Institute in the state, and one of only two AP Spanish Language Institutes in the state. For the complete story …

Shoestring Players Performance Of “Nunsense” Features All Student Cast
The Shoestring Players at USC Upstate will perform the hilariously funny Nunsense on April 19-21 at 8:15 p.m. and April 22 at 3:15 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. The entire cast of Nunsense is comprised of USC Upstate students. Nunsense begins when the Little Sisters of Hoboken discover that their cook, Sister Julia, Child of God, has accidentally poisoned 52 of the sisters, and they are in dire need of funds for the burials. The sisters decide that the best way to raise the money is to put on a variety show, so they take over the school auditorium, which is currently set up for the eighth grade production of “Grease.” Here we meet Reverend Mother Regina, a former circus performer; Sister Mary Hubert, the Mistress of Novices; a streetwise nun from Brooklyn named Sister Robert Anne; Sister Mary Leo, a novice who is a wannabe ballerina; and the delightfully wacky Sister Mary Amnesia, the nun who lost her memory when a crucifix fell on her head. For showtimes and cast details, read on …

Foundations of Excellence
In the February 2 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education, page A13 there is a very prominent announcement of USC Upstate’s participation in the Foundations of Excellence program. Here is a link to the ad.

Thank you for participating in the Register Survey
There were 160 respondents to the Register survey conducted campus-wide two weeks ago. From those responses, University Communications has identified areas of improvements and the campus will see some changes implemented over the next few months. Barbara Chastain is the winner of the $50 Target gift card that was an incentive to participate in the survey. Thanks to everyone!

Heading 2

Snow and ice visited the Upstate Thursday, closing school and giving students, faculty and staff a day off.


photos by Denise Levereaux


photo by Claire Sachse

 

Activities and Events

Graduate School Test Prep Workshop for Spring 2007
Mondays and Wednesdays…Starting Monday, February 5 … Hodge 256
 Are you thinking about graduate school but worried about the entrance exam? If so, the Division of Student and Diversity Affairs and Opportunity Network are pleased to announce an opportunity for students, alumni and staff to participate in the GRE and GMAT test prep workshops. Workshops will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m., starting February 5, and includes 18 hours of instruction (nine hours of English and nine hours of math) in 14 sessions over a seven week period. The costs are $75 for students (includes materials) and $100 for alumni and staff (includes materials). To secure your place, contact Opportunity Network or visit Smith 101. Seating is limited. Payment is due at the time of reservation.

USC Upstate Presents Guitar Celebration Concert
Tuesday, February 6 … 8:00 p.m. … HPAC
Get complete concert details from the media release here.

Washington DC Internship Information Workshop
Thursday, February 8 … 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. … CLC 309
Please remind your students about this internship information event.

Webinar: The Latest on the Sexual Harassment Front
Thursday, February 8 … 3:00 p.m. …Rampey

Peace Corps Information Session
 Thursday, February 8 … 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. … CLC 319
Come for FREE PIZZA and hear regional recruiter and returned Peace Corps volunteer Debbie Curley share her experiences from Cameroon and get information on how you join the Peace Corps. USC Upstate Spanish instructor Doug Jackson and biology professor Dr. Jack Turner will also share their Peace Corps experiences in Cape Verde and Niger respectively. Contact John Montemayor (ext. 5124) for more details.

Beyond Beats & Rhymes: Hip Hop and Black Masculinity
Thursday, February 8 … 6:00 p.m. … CLC 309
The Center for Women’s and Gender Studies will present a screening of the new PBS documentary, “Beyond Beats & Rhymes: Hip Hop and Black Masculinity,” followed by a panel discussion of hip hop and black masculinity. Read the complete media release here.

Gospel Choir Concert
The Gospel Choir will celebrate its annual anniversary with a concert on Sunday, February 11 at 4:00 p.m. at the Marriott Hotel Grand Ballroom.

Training Opportunities

For a complete description of all of the Spring 2007 technology training courses listed below, click here.

— Teaching and Learning with Technology Fair
An afternoon of demonstrations and discussions is being planned to encourage more faculty to use technology to improve teaching and learning. Friday, March 2 from 1 – 4 pm has been chosen for this event. Please put this even on your calendar and plan to attend. Faculty who are willing to lead a session or demonstrate something they have found effective should contact Tom Davis via email. Nominations are also being sought so please nominate a colleague who you know to be using technology effectively.

— Blackboard Workshops

— Using the Quality Matters Rubric to Improve Your Online Courses February 21 – March 16

— Transformative Curriculum Development and Assessment Practices, February 7 - 16

— Getting Started: Online Course Development Basics, April 25 – May 18

— Copyright Compliance for Online Educators, March 21 - 30

— Moving the Laboratory Online, April 18 - 27

— Dynamic Collaboration, Discussion and Facilitation Practices, May 23 – June 1

Planning and Organizational Development has the following seminars coming up. It is important to reserve your spot early by contacting Jeanette Reeves.

Webinar: Diversity Management: Past, Present and Future

Intro to Excel

Webinar: The Latest on the Sexual Harassment Front

NowOnTV

 

Academic

Have a student who has excessive absences?
The Extended/Excessive Absence Report is now active and available on the Center for Student Success web site. Remember to use your normal campus username and password to get past the security wall.  Then you’ll be prompted for your SSN to show your current courses. The system is designed to alert students who have 1) never attended class but are listed on your roll, 2) have attended before but have been absent for an extended period of time or 3) have sporadic but excessive absences.  Each Friday, the student and course information is pulled and letters reminding the students of their status are sent home.  Please continue to report as frequent contact might encourage them to follow-up sooner.  Thank you for your participation as we work to “intervene early” with students who may be in jeopardy.  (Please note: The Unsatisfactory Progress Report portion of the Early Intervention Program will not be available until mid-semester.)   If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact Lori Holtmann, Coordinator of Student Success Initiatives at ext. 5049.

Here is the information for you and your students regarding the Spring 2007 round of Creative Activities, Research and Scholarship Mini-Grants (CARS) sponsored by the Center for Undergraduate Research. The deadline to apply is Friday, February 23.

Faculty Governance Meeting Dates
Senate: February 9 at 2:15 pm in Rampey
Advisory: February 23 at 2:15 in UCR

Teaching Excellence Committee: Policies and TAPS Deadlines
The Teaching Excellence Committee (TEC) is calling for applications for TAPS funding for the remainder of the academic year 2006 - 2007.  The guidelines for TAPS submissions can be found under the USC Upstate Home Page under Faculty Governance.  Please submit the original and 10 copies of your application to the TEC chair, Dr. June C. D. Carter, Languages, Literature and Composition, HPAC 222.  All applicants must submit a final report to the chair and an electronic copy to Happy Montgomery within 30 days of the recipient’s return from a trip.  Any recipient of TAPS grants who fails to do so or fails to notify the committee of cancellations of a trip within 30 days of the scheduled trip will NOT be eligible for another TAPS award during that particular fiscal year.  The final report forms are available online.  Spring and summer deadlines for TAPS up to June 30 are as follows: Wednesday, January 24 at 4:00 p.m.; Wednesday, February 14 at 4:00 p.m.; Wednesday, March 21 at 4:00 p.m.; Wednesday, April 18 at 4:00 p.m.; Wednesday, May 16 at 4:00 p.m.; and Wednesday, June 20 at 4:00 p.m.

USC Upstate’s Annual Award to Faculty for Scholarly and/or Creative Pursuits Each year, USC Upstate recognizes a faculty member who has distinguished himself or herself by scholarly and/or creative activities during the preceding year. The award, which carries with it a monetary value of $500.00, is given during the spring commencement exercises in concert with the USC Upstate Annual Bank of America Excellence in Teaching and Advising Award. One of the responsibilities of the Teaching Excellence Committee (TEC) is to solicit nominations for and select the recipient of the Excellence in Scholarly and/or Creative Activities annual award for scholarly and/or creative pursuits and achievements.  Nominations may be made by any USC Upstate faculty member (including self-nominations) or by an administrator.  The nominator should send a letter of intent to nominate to the TEC chair prior to March 15, 2007.  Once a nomination is accepted, the faculty member must submit the material for consideration by March 15 th, 2007. USC Upstate’s Annual Award to Faculty for Scholarly and/or Creative Pursuits includes a description of the Excellence in Scholarly and/or Creative Activities Award, guidelines for nominations, materials to be included in the submission, and the minimum criteria on which submissions will be evaluated. A copy of the attached document will be available in each school and division office. Questions concerning the award and the nomination and selection procedures should be addressed to Dr. June C. D. Carter, Chair, Teaching Excellence Committee (Department of Languages, Literature, and Composition, ext. 5881).

 

Right Column

Health Tip of the Week

Do you use interoffice mail for items going to a person down the hall or who is in the same building? Consider burning some calories by taking the mail to the person directly.

© Smart Style’s 101 Ways to Stay Healthy

Athletics

Save The Date!! - February 10
 February 10th is a marquee day for USC Upstate Athletics.  The Athletic Department will induct three people into its Athletics Hall of Fame.  In addition, Feb. 10th will also be a special day as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the 1982 Men's Basketball NAIA National Championship Team. 

The team will be honored at halftime of the men's basketball game against UNC Pembroke and a reception will be held following the contest.

Click here to Register for the Basketball Reunion

Emploment Opportunities

APPLICATION PROCESS: Visit www.uscupstate.edu/jobs for additional information and online application submission instructions.

STAFF/ADMINISTRATION POSITIONS:

Director of Instructional Technology
(State Title: Program Manager I)
Information Technology & Services
Requisition No. 042962
Online applications accepted through Wednesday, February, 28, 2007

Student Services Coordinator
(State Title: Student Services Program Coordinator I)
Center for Student Success
Requisition No. 042966
Online applications accepted through Wednesday, February, 14, 2007

New Employees

Brian Mallory has joined the Office of Planning and Organizational Development as Coordinator of Institutional Effectiveness & Compliance. Brian’s office is located in the Rampey Center. He can be reached at bmallory@uscupstate.edu or ext. 5796.  

Erin Millwood , former Program Coordinator in the Center for Student Success, will begin a new position in the Financial Aid office here at Upstate effective Thursday, February 1.  Please forward all communications that used to go through Erin to Louise Ericson or Lori Holtmann.

Dr. Deryle Hope has been appointed the new Associate Director of International Studies at USC Upstate. Deryle brings exceptional skills and experiences to this position including teaching on both the high school and university level, grant writing, international education, program development, and considerable experience as an administrator in both educational and corporate settings. In addition to serving as Associate Director of International Studies, Dr. Hope will assist with numerous initiatives in support of graduate program development and student recruitment, continuing education, and pre-college academic programs, undergraduate research, grant writing and other initiatives in support of the university’s campus and outreach missions. Deryle’s office will is in Admin 102 in the Center for International Studies located on the ground level of the Administration Building. He can be reached at ext. 5769.

Miscellaneous

Inclement Weather Policy
In case you didn’t look at the policy last week when it was emailed to everyone, you can download the policy here.  

Severe Weather Preparedness Tips from Duke Power
 Ensure you have an adequate stock of storm supplies, including flashlights, batteries, medicines, first aid supplies, baby items, bottled water, non-perishable food and firewood.

Homeowners with wells should draw an emergency water supply in case power to their electric water pumps is interrupted.

If you have an emergency heating source, learn how to use it properly to prevent fire and ensure proper ventilation.

Click here to see the February USC Upstate Dining Schedule for Celebrate Black History Month.

 Discounted Memberships Available at Spartanburg Athletic Club
USC Upstate employees are eligible for discounted individual and family memberships at the Spartanburg Athletic Club.  SAC provides an atmosphere that promotes active, healthy lifestyles for people of ALL ages and fitness levels.  Members have access to a professional, caring team who can provide the training and motivation to help you reach your fitness goals.  SAC has top-notch equipment and beautiful facilities to provide an environment that is fun, friendly and efficient. For more information, call (864) 582-5050 or visit the website.

Women’s and Gender Studies Center Forms Book Club
The Center for Women’s and Gender Studies invites faculty, students, and staff to participate in a new book club this spring.  We will be reading a memoir by Nancy Venable Raine called After Silence: Rape and My Journey Back.  The focus of the book is on the symptoms of post-traumatic stress syndrome that the author experiences after the assault, the cultural pressures to suppress the story of trauma, and the uses and limitations of existing feminist discourse on rape. The memoir is available through amazon.com for around $12.  Discussions will take place in Hodge 155 (The Center for Women’s Studies and Programs). Two discussion dates have been selected: Tuesday, April 3, 12:15-1:15p.m., and Wednesday, April 4, 8:00-9:00a.m. Please email Lisa Johnson if you are interested in participating and identify which discussion date you want to sign up for. Look at the f lyer for all the details.

 Update: Applying for On-Campus Jobs
 The Career Center has made it easier for students to apply for on-campus jobs 24 hours a day. On the homepage of our website is a very easy to follow tutorial on how to register on MonsterTRAK and apply for on-campus jobs. The Career Center strongly encourages everyone hiring students to take a moment to visit our website and click on the Monster to see how this process works.

2007 Faculty/Staff Telephone Directory The 2007 Faculty/Staff Telephone Directory is now available for you to download and/or obtain from Printing Services. Visit the Printing Services web site to place your order. Each directory costs $3.09 and will be charged to the ordering department. Please note that all information in the directory is available online, and the online information is updated continuously throughout the year. University Communications encourages the use of the online directory primarily to conserve paper and printing costs, but also to reduce the number of internal calls to the switchboard operator.

Download the directory here. This is a large file and will take several seconds to download. Please note that as updates are made online, the directory you download will reflect the changes.

Spartanburg Marriott Special Corporate Rate
The Spartanburg Marriott at Renaissance Park will offer a special corporate rate to
 USC Upstate for individual transient guests valid January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2007:
$99.00 Weekday (Sun-Thurs.) and $89.00 Weekend (Fri. & Sat.)

Important key factors to keep in mind:
 *This rate is for visitors, students, and staff of USC Upstate and guests must specify the USC Upstate Corporate Rate at the time the reservation is placed
*This rate is based on availability
*This rate applies to individual transient stays ONLY, Groups Do Not Apply and will be handled on an individual basis
*This is a trial rate and will be reassessed based on volume at the end of 2007
*Guests can make reservations by simply calling (800) 327-6465 or (864)596-1211
* For more information on the Spartanburg Marriott or to view picture please visit our website: www.spartanburgmarriott.com