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Damrel Receives Prestigious Fulbright Scholarship: Becomes Third USC Upstate Faculty Member In Three Years To Be Named A Fulbright Recipient
 For the third time in three years, a faculty member at the University of South Carolina has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship. Dr. David Damrel, assistant professor of religion, is this year’s Fulbright recipient and he will spend the spring and summer of 2008 teaching and developing a comparative religion program at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, which is located on the island of Java. For complete details, click here…

 

USC Upstate Students are London-BoundThis Summer
As the 2007 spring semester nears its mid-point, 20 University of South Carolina Upstate students and the Director of Foreign Study – London Program are making their final plans for a month-long trip to England for summer study and travel. From June 26 through July 28, these students will be attending classes for two days a week at Kingston University in southwest London, receiving three international credit hours for studying various aspects of British culture and society – from art to architecture, museums and galleries to international business, Shakespeare reading and performance to London and its literary history. Having led the London trip several years in a row, USC Upstate theater professor Jimm Cox will be the group’s guide. For complete details, including Jim Cox’s trip podcast, click here.

 

Career Services Helps High Schoolers Prepare for Job Interviews
Career Service Coordinator John Montemayor reached out to Spartanburg youth on March 1 as part of the University’s participation in the nationwide HUD program. Montemayor spoke to a group of 27 youths and adults at the Spartanburg Housing Authority’s Roy C. Henderson Opportunity Center. The presentation sought to teach high school aged students the essentials of preparing for a first job interview. Montemayor covered the topics of appropriate dress, etiquette, choosing a job that fits the applicant, and what first time job seekers should include on a resume to make themselves more marketable. Details about the presentation are available in the media release. (Photo and story courtesy of Thomas Wolfe.)

 

Bookstore to close during Spring Break
The bookstore will be closed March 12 – March 16, 2007 to conduct physical inventory, and will reopen with regular hours on Monday, March 19. 

 

Metropolitan Studies has moved
 The Metropolitan Studies Institute of USC Upstate has moved into the Community Education & Outreach Center building downtown, 325 S. Church St. Their main number is now 503-7400, their fax is 503-7432 and Saville Williams can be reached at 503-7403.

 

Faculty Manual Revisions
The proposed revisions to the Faculty Manual should be distributed by e-mail this week. Three forums have been scheduled for faculty to discuss the proposed revisions. Forum dates and times are as follows:

  • Tuesday, March 20 3:00 p.m. CLC 317
  • Friday, March 23 1:00 p.m. University Conference Room
  • Monday, March 26 11:00 a.m. CLC 317

Chapters 5, 6 and 7 relate to promotion and tenure. These chapters will be distributed in hard copy. The proposed revisions to the promotion and tenure chapters were made by the Promotion and Tenure Committee, with support from the Faculty Manual Committee. The Faculty Advisory Committee has been asked to place the promotion and tenure chapters on the agenda for the General Faculty Meeting scheduled for April 13. The Faculty Advisory Committee will be asked to place the remaining chapters on the agenda for the May 4 Senate Meeting.

 

Summer School Info Now Online
Online courses, traditional classroom courses and study abroad opportunities are highlighted online. Be sure to tell your students about the options they have this year.

 

 

Heading 2

Students enjoyed Alternative Spring Break Carnival, held last week at the lower quad.

Activities and Events

Womanist Theology Discussed At USC Upstate
 Monday, March 19 … 3:30 p.m. … G.B. Hodge Center, Room 155
The Center for Women’s and Gender Studies at USC Upstate will host a discussion of Womanist Theology led by Dr. Stephanie Mitchem, associate professor of religion and women’s studies at the University of South Carolina. She will then take questions and answers. What is Womanist Theology? Find out more here.

 

College Majors Fair
Tuesday, March 20 … 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. … HPAC/Smith Lower Quad
Do you know students who aren't sure of their major, what they can do with their major or maybe don't even know what majors are available at USC Upstate?  The Center for Student Success and Counseling Services are co-sponsoring the College Majors Fair on Tuesday, March 20 from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm on the lower Quad between the HPAC and Smith buildings. All of the Upstate majors will be showcased with faculty on hand to answer questions students might have. Counseling Services will also highlight career exploration resources, offer exploration tips and talk informally with students regarding their career choice. Free food will be provided and a raffle giving away an iPod Nano and other great prizes. In past years, over 500 students have attended. Please encourage students to attend this wonderful event! For more information, read the flyer, or please contact Louise Ericson at 503-5070 or Frances Jarratt-Hortis at 503-5195.

  

Education Career Recruitment Event
Wednesday, March 21 … 9:30 a.m. …. CLC 309
The Career Center is sponsoring an Education Recruitment event for graduating seniors. The event will begin with a Career Forum from 10:00 – 11:20 a.m. and will be followed by an opportunity for students to meet with recruiters from 12:00 – 2:00 pm. Employers from South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia will be present. For further details, including a list of attending recruiters, visit the Career Center web site.

  

Women in … Series: Martha Ballard – Midwife on the Maine Frontier
Wednesday, March 21 … 12:15- 1:15 p.m. … CLC 309
As part of the Center for Women's Studies celebration of Women's History Month, Dr. Paul Grady, Assistant Professor of History, will present the work of noted historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, and her work on the diary of Martha Ballard, who, between 1785 and 1812, worked as a healer and midwife on the Maine frontier. For more information, contact Lisa Johnson.

 

An Evening of Great Conversations
 Thursday, March 22 … 6:00-9:30 p.m. … Piedmont Club
USC Upstate’s College of Arts and Sciences is proud to present, over an elegant dinner at the Piedmont Club, an opportunity to engage in one of eleven conversations on a variety of important topics, each facilitated by a faculty expert on the topic. Contact Ryan Boggs (Ext. 5218) to reserve your spot – do so early as this is a very popular event.

 

Metropolitan Communities in Transition: Lessons from Spartanburg and the World
 Friday, March 23 … 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. … CLC
In a single action-packed day, leaders from the Upstate, other U.S. cities, and communities in China, Germany, India, South Africa, Ukraine, and other countries will gather to discuss challenges and solutions related to three topics: community health, education, and community development. Outstanding speakers and panelists from government, academia, nonprofits, business, and the World Bank will focus on what metropolitan communities in transition can learn from each other. People interested in health, education, community development, globalization, nonprofit administration, and governance will want to attend this conference! Cost: $25, includes lunch. Contact Ryan Boggs (Ext. 5218) to reserve your spot. Read the media release for a few extra details, or visit the conference web site.

 

The Holocaust: Reflection and Remembrance
 Friday, March 23 and Saturday, March 24 … B’nai Israel Temple
An address, a panel discussion and a one-man play are scheduled for Spartanburg’s second annual Holocaust remembrance event sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences at USC Upstate, B’nai Israel Temple and the Spartanburg Human Relations Commission. All the details, including times and participants, are in the media release.

In conjunction with the program, USC Upstate and Temple B’nai Israel invite students to submit essays and artwork expressing their feelings about the Holocaust and what we can learn from it. The entries will be judged according to originality, eloquence, and persuasion. All entries will be on display in the lobby of the Humanities & Performing Arts Center and the winner will be announced and awarded a prize of a $100 savings bond the evening of March 24.

Contest Rules: Essays should be a maximum of 500 words. Art or essay topic should be “Lessons about Life and Humanity: My Reflections on the Holocaust.” The prize is a $100 savings bond. The following information should be included on the last page of the essay or on the back of the art: name, address, sponsoring faculty, phone number. The deadline for entries is March 15. Entrees may be mailed or dropped off at Temple B’nai Israel; 146 Heywood Avenue; Spartanburg, South Carolina 29303. The office is open from 8:15 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Monday – Friday.  If you have any questions, or need further information, please contact Catherine Canino at ccanino@uscupstate.edu; Linda Tanenbaum at sat506@bellsouth.net, or Rabbi Yossi Liebowitz at rabbi@ourtemple.us.

 

Regional Science Fair
Tuesday, March 20 – Saturday, March 24 … Hodge Gym
USC Upstate will welcome aspiring young scientists to its campus when it hosts the annual Regional Science Fair March 20-24. 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. Read the media release for all the event details.

 

Women in … Series: Italian Immigrants in Urban America
 Friday, March 30 … 12:15 p.m. … CLC 309
As part of the Center for Women's Studies' celebration of Women's History Month, Dr. Diane Vecchio, associate professor of history at Furman University, will give a talk based on the research for her book, "Merchants, Midwives, and Laboring Women: Italian Migrants in Urban America." For further information, contact Lisa Johnson.

 

UPCOMING ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES

Maymester 2007 : Drawing from Nature (SART 398 Special Topics in Art)
Visual Arts is offering an innovative special topics course in Maymester 2007 entitled "Drawing from Nature." Nature has been the inspiration of artists throughout history and this course will look at the history of nature and art as students use techniques of drawing to record their own responses to the subject both in the field and in the studio. Field sites will include USC Upstate Arboretum, Hatcher Gardens, Palmetto trail and Milliken gardens. Students will work at their own pace and skill-level to address technical and conceptual issues of working from nature. There is no prerequisite for this course but students are encouraged to bring enthusiasm for the subject and a willingness to explore new directions. The class meets Monday and Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. in VAC 124 with instructor Jane Nodine. For more information please contact Jane Nodine or call ext. 5838.

  

Training OPPORTUNITIES

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

  • 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 seminar coming up. It is important to reserve your spot early by contacting Jeanette Reeves.

 

The Office of Equal Opportunity Programs will offer the following seminars as part of the Towards a Civil Campus Series. Detailed information will follow via e-mail announcements. Contact Sharon Woods at 503-9889 for more information.

 

 

UPSTATE TV

Dr. Darrell Parker , dean of the School of Business, and USC Upstate alum, Chris Fowler, VP at Wachovia, are the guests on the next episode of Upstate TV. Their interview focused on the importance of finishing a four year degree – particularly in business in getting a job in today’s economy. Dr. Parker emphasized USC Upstate’s general business program, which, by design represents different functional areas of business such as accounting, finance, management and marketing. The combination of these skills is more important for the small businesses in our region than a pure specialization in one area. Also discussed on the show are the opportunities for adults with some college to come back to school and finish their degree either directly through Upstate or in combination with Greenville Tech and Spartanburg Community College. 

Day Time Channel
March 13 12:30 p.m. 14
  10:00 p.m. 10
March 15 7:30 p.m. 14
March 18 7:00 p.m. 14
March 20 12:30 p.m. 14
  10:00 p.m. 10
March 22 7:30 p.m. 14
March 25 7:00 p.m. 14
     
     

 

Podcasts

As part of the Center for Women's Studies and Programs' celebration of Women's History month, Dr. Holle Schneider-Ricks addresses the experiences of East European German women in World War II in this podcast.

 

 

 

 

 

ACADEMIC REMINDERS

Promotion and Tenure Workshop
You are invited to attend a Promotion and Tenure workshop in the University Conference Room, second floor, Admin. Building. The workshops will be held as follows: Friday, March 30 from 2:15 - 3:30 p.m. and Tuesday, April 3 from 3:00 - 4:15 p.m. Tenure track faculty, peer review chairs, department/division chairs and deans are welcome to participate. Please respond to Happy Montgomery letting her know which workshop you plan to attend. Should you have conflicts for both the above times listed, please let us know and we will try to accommodate you.

 

American Humanics
American Humanics was just awarded $5 million from the Kellogg Foundation for the Next Generation of Nonprofit Leaders program. The purpose of the grant is to enhance the student internship experience so they do not necessary have to work in addition to the internship. We hope that this will allow students to fully concentrate on their internship duties. This is yet another benefit for nonprofit major and minor students who join the American Humanics Student Association (AHSA).This grant is for students who have the nonprofit coursework (major or minor), are active members of AHSA, and who intend to get certified in American Humanics.  Students can apply funding in the spring, summer or fall semesters and can apply for multiple semesters. The stipend is for $4500 for 300 hours. This is $15.00 per hour!  This is only open to the 70 colleges and universities that are involved in American Humanics. Additionally, they can do this in conjunction with an internship which is already paid (USC Upstate has some) and with Americorp. This opportunity is open for the next five years. This will allow students to prepare for this opportunity even if they are freshman. For more information call 503-5754. 

 

Activities and Events

Women’s Expo
Women: Mark your calendars for March 17 and plan to attend the Women’s Expo sponsored by Spartanburg Regional. Please share with your family and friends. It is always a fun day to network with women in the community as well as to learn a lot of interesting information (see all of the topics listed at the bottom of the flyer).

 

Celebrate Anew 2007: A Bethlehem Center Gala Event and Gown Pre-Sale and Sale
With spring and summer just around the corner, the season for weddings, proms and formal events is getting started. If you need a gown this year, consider attending the Celebrate Anew 2007 Event at Bethel United Methodist Church, 245 S. Church St. On Friday, March 23 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. there will be a gown pre-sale. Ticket donations are $15 per person. On Saturday, March 24 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., come for the big sale. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children 18 and younger. There will be 80 Bravura Handbags, as well as over 300 new and nearly-new gowns for formals, proms, pageants, debutante balls, and weddings. Also, you will find 45 new wedding gowns from local boutiques, priced from $100- $400, that retail from $700 to $2000! No checks accepted at the sales event. Payment by Visa, MasterCard, debit or cash.

Tickets available at Bethlehem Center, 397 Highland Avenue. Call 582-7158 for further information.

 


 CPR Saturday

The American Red Cross invites you to CPR Saturday on March 31! All classes will be Adult CPR certification classes on March 31. The cost is $10 per person - must pre-pay to register for the class.  Call to register over the phone with a credit card, stop by the office to pay, or register online at www.redcross.org/sc/piedmont. Registration and pre-payment are required in order to attend CPR Saturday. Here is a flyer to print out and take with you.  

Piedmont Chapter : Contact (864) 583-8000 to register, 104 Garner Rd., Spartanburg, SC 29303

  • Pine Street YMCA : 9:00am-12:00pm, 1:00pm-4:00pm, 266 S. Pine St., Spartanburg, SC 29302
  • Boiling Springs First Baptist Church : 9:00am-12:00pm, 1:00pm-4:00pm, 3600 Boiling Springs Rd., Boiling Springs, SC 29316
  • Middle Tyger Library : 10:00am-1:00pm, 2:00pm-5:00pm, 170 Groce Rd., Lyman, SC 29365
  • Landrum Public Library : 9:00am-12:00pm, 111 East Asbury Drive, Landrum, SC 29356

Cherokee County Service Center : Contact (864) 489-6066 to register, 301 N. Limestone St., Gaffney, SC 29340

  • Cherokee County Service Center : 9:00am-12:00pm, 1:00pm-4:00pm, 301 N. Limestone Street, Gaffney, SC 29340
  • Blacksburg Community Center : 9:00am-12:00pm, 1:00pm-4:00pm, 103 South Shelby Street, Blacksburg, SC 29702

Union County Service Center : Contact (864) 427-7991 to register, 303 W. Main St., Union, SC 29379

  • Union County Service Center : 10:00am-1:00pm, 303 W. Main St., Union, SC 29379
  • YMCA Union : 10:00am-1:00pm, 106 Lakeside Dr., Union, SC 29379
  • USC Union : 10:00am-1:00pm, 309 East Academy St., Union, SC 29379

 

 

March of Dimes
USC Upstate is partnering this year with the March of Dimes in the “Walk America” event on Saturday, April 28 at Barnet Park at 9:00 a.m. Click on the link provided to make a financial contribution and to sign up to be on the Upstate “Spartan” walk team. Our campus goal is $1000……please become apart of our team and walk for March of Dimes and USC Upstate.

 

 

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Did You Know?

 

 

 

 

 

3.141592653589793238462…..
You may not have known about this holiday – in fact it may not be on your calendar at all….unless you are a lover of math, engineering or physics. On Wednesday, March 14 at 1:59 pm (or 3.14159) the world will celebrate Pi Day, gathering to join hands in the shape whose ratio of its circumference to its diameter is the most revered mathematical constant in the known universe. In fact, this “almost mystical ratio…is an irrational number whose quest has persisted since the time of Pythagoras and the ancient Greeks – and whose mystery still captivates mathematicians today.” How can you celebrate Pi Day? Take a pi mile run. Eat pineapple, pizza, pie, or pina coladas. Calculate your age using pi as a unit of measure. Have a pie-eating contest. Have a competition to see who can recite pi to the most digits. Tell the Register Reporter how you plan to celebrate, and receive a small pi-rize!

Staff Spotlight

Robin Hollis
Student Services Specialist/Veterans Affairs Coordinator
Ext. 5273 Admin. 308

Need to know how to spell a word? Call Robin. She won the spelling bee in the first grade, and is happy to help. In fact, she says she “loves working with students, faculty and staff” here at Upstate. She must like Upstate, because she’s been employed here 18 years! In her free time, Robin enjoys shopping and traveling. She was born in Gaffney.

Athletics

Saturday Night Fever
USC Upstate Athletics will hold its 14 th Annual Athletics Benefit Auction – “Saturday Night Fever” – on Sat., April 28 in the Hodge Center.  The retro 70’s theme will be topped off with disco lighting and your favorite 70’s music.  Enjoy wonderful food and beverage, great music, and terrific auction items.  Tickets are $50 and can be purchased in advance.  Please call ext. 5144 for more information.

Faculty and Staff Briefs

Dr. Lisa Johnson (Center for Women and Gender Studies) presented a paper at the 20th Annual Women's Studies conference at USC in Columbia on Friday, March 2 titled "Cutting Memoirs: Autobiography, Self Injury, and the Wounded Storyteller's Search for Justice." She presented part of this material at the recent Monday Night Feminism discussion on women and self-cutting, featured in an article in the Sunday edition of the Spartanburg Herald-Journal.

Assistant Professor of Graphic Design, Marius Valdes, received one gold and one silver Addy Award from the Greenville Ad Club for two of his illustrations used in promoting events for the South Carolina chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts. Valdes attended the Greenville Addy Awards Ceremony with two USC Upstate graphic design seniors, J. Caleb Clark and Mollie Brown. The Addy Awards were judged by a national panel of judges who are highly distinguished in the advertising field. The Addy Awards are recognized as the advertising industry's equivalent to the Academy Awards. The three-tier Addy competition recognizes achievement on a local, district, and national level. Gold-winners advance to the district level and district winners advance to the nationals.

Professor Lyle Campbell (Geology) has published a book, Life in the Blue Ridge: A Folk History of the Wiatt Campbell, George Hight, James Ramsey and William Bradley Families of Montebello, Piney River and South Mountain, Virginia. The book, compiled over the last 30 years, is a detailed chronicle of life in the mountains of Nelson County, Va. from 1740 through 1950. Photos, letters, family trees, anecdotes, and more complete this volume about farm life along the Appalachian Trail. Military service, family planning, household and farm routine, clothing and fashion, crops and gardens, ghosts and ghost stories, legal matters and medical practices are a sampling of topics covered in this book. Contact Dr. Campbell to find out more and to get your copy.

Employment Opportunities

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

STAFF/ADMINISTRATION POSITIONS:

Assistant Director of Housing & Residential Life
(State Title: Student Services Program Coordinator II)
Office of Housing & Residential Life
Requisition No. 043018
Online applications accepted through Monday, March 26, 2007

Director of Human Resources
(State Title: Human Resources Manager II)
Office of Human Resources
Requisition No. 043091
Online applications accepted through Wednesday, March 28, 2007.

Moneyplus Reminder
This Thursday, March 15, 2007 is the deadline for employees to spend 2006 funds. You have until Saturday, March 31, 2007 to submit all eligible expenses (January 1, 2006 - March 15, 2007) for reimbursement. The website for the claim form is http://hr.sc.edu/forms/fsaclaim2006.pdf

Miscellaneous

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.