Contents
Message from the Dean
Welcome to February!
I forgot, winter does come to Kentucky... it’s COLD. Actually not nearly as bad as the subzero and single digit temps that our kids are getting in Iowa, along with several feet of snow already this year. I particularly realized it was cold when I woke up the other morning and found that my furnace wasn’t working, funny how one notices that more quickly when it’s below freezing outside.
It snowed in Bowling Green too. The Division’s photographer, Elizabeth Main, was able to race to the hill campus and get some snowy shots for our Winter Term marketing materials. This was an award winning feat since this particular snow storm came, went, and melted in 45 minutes... great work, Elizabeth.
As we predicted the Winter Term was again a record enrollment, up 20% again this year, to 2242. Good job everyone.
We held another successful graduation ceremony for the UFT students in New York City. This is always a fun event for these active teachers who really appreciate the opportunity that they have to complete their Masters in Communication Disorders while continuing to work. Laura does such a great job with these folks; she even got Big Red to participate at the event this year.
We are all delighted to hear that Ron Stephens is doing "miraculously" after his knee surgery. He’s back behind the wheel which means we might all be in trouble. He’s done so well that he may have the other knee replaced in a few weeks. If his recovery on the second is as good as the first he will probably be back to running marathons by next summer.
Our sincere sympathy goes out to Sharon and Winston Woodward upon the loss of Winston’s father. It’s times like these that remind us that we are really not in charge of our time on this earth.
The entire university will feel the effects of the state budget cuts. We hope that the legislature will provide as much support to higher education as they possibly can to lessen the pain.
We welcome Audry Embry and Kelli Holland to our DELO family; these two ladies are our new student workers. I also welcome you to our newsletter if you are new to it, if you’re a regular reader you are welcome also... Enjoy the news.
Don S.
Elizabethtown/Ft. Knox News
Classes Begin at the Radcliff Regional Education and Development Center
Vivian Robertson is shown facilitating an ELED class in the new Radcliff Regional Education and Development Center, which opened on Tuesday, January 22.
Vivian Robertson, ELED facilitator, is shown in the new IVS room at the Radcliff Regional Education and Development Center.
Elizabethtown/Ft. Knox Student Makes Headlines
Joyce Garrett is a WKU student majoring in Social Work. She recently retired from the active duty military and is now a Soldier family management specialist who works for the U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program.
Joyce was recently featured in The News-Enterprise Turret newspaper as an advocate who assists severely disabled Soldiers and their families receive their benefits, programs, and entitlements. The full article is available online.
Staff Updates
Congratulations to Ronda Sullivan, who was promoted from Office Associate to Office Coordinator, and to Melissa Ballinger, who was promoted from Office Assistant to Office Associate.
Thursday, January 31, was a sad day for the Elizabethtown/Ft. Knox Regional Center as we said good–bye to Betty Milburn, Office Associate in Elizabethtown.
Pictured (left to right) are Barbara Flowers, volunteer, Gail Ledford, Student Services Coordinator, Betty, Bea Cobb, Military Programs Counselor, and Gail Smallwood, Academic Advisor.
Glasgow News
The New Year has taken off with a bright burst of energy. Students, faculty, and staff returned after the holidays with renewed commitment to excellence.
WKU-Glasgow Campus Students Study Abroad
Lindsie Kinslow, Steven Lyon, Crystal Walden, and instructor Kristie Guffey are suited up and ready to go over the rain forest on a zip line.
Steven Lyon, Lindsie Kinslow, instructor Kristie Guffey, and Crystal Walden pose in front of the Volcano Arenal, which is currently active.
Three WKU-Glasgow Campus students got the opportunity of a lifetime to experience agriculture in a foreign country as a part of a Study Abroad class. Lindsie Kinslow of Glasgow, Crystal Walden of Cave City, and Steven Lyon of Tompkinsville boarded a plane heading towards San Jose, Costa Rica on January 8, 2008. Agriculture Instructor, Kristie Guffey, accompanied these three WKU Glasgow students for a ten day agriculture tour in Costa Rica.
Their activities included visiting the rainforest by traveling by zip-line above the clouds, seeing an active volcano, and traveling from coast to coast. Here are some of the students’ comments:
• "I can say that this trip has broadened my perspective on the world and its peoples." (Steven Lyon)
• "When I recall my trip to Costa Rica the first thought that comes to mind is stepping outside the airport to some of the richest green land I had ever seen." (Crystal Walden)
• "I have no favorite part of the trip because the whole trip was outstanding." (Lindsie Kinslow)
The class sent a special thanks to Dr. Juanita Bayless for her continued support of agriculture and international travel.
New Nursing Instructor and Program at Glasgow
We would like to welcome Lori Diehl (left), full–time nursing instructor, to the Glasgow family. Lori originally taught at the Bowling Green campus before coming to Glasgow.
Glasgow is part of a pilot Pre-licensure Baccalaureate Nursing Degree program being taught via IVS from Bowling Green to 10 students at Glasgow. These 10 students will complete the program before another class will be admitted. The program is an opportunity for place–bound students to obtain their BSN.
PSY Club
The Psychology Club hosted a Christmas party for unmatched kids in Big Brothers/Big Sisters on Dec. 21. They played games, joined the children in a craft, busted a piñata (sort of... the darn things are hard to bust!), and had pizza. The WKU bookstore donated t–shirts as a Christmas present for each child. WKU students who attended were Mariea Geis, Ryan Furkin, and Emilee Wilson.
Alpha Lambda Alpha
A new student organization, Alpha Lambda Alpha, held its first campus activity, a kickoff event, which gave away free hot dogs to announce the organization and attract members. ALA is an interfaith organization offering students an opportunity to build an on–campus community and engage in service projects.
Pictured at right are Leigh Ann Wells, Kasandra Mouser, Troy Robertson, Rex Combs, Ernest Stock, and Tim Stutler.
Glasgow Rotary Club
Stacey Biggs, DELO Marketing Manager, was guest speaker at the Glasgow Rotary Club. Her presentation was on the various opportunities available through DELO.
Annex Construction
Everyone at the Glasgow Campus is excited to see the ground preparation for the new annex that is expected to be up and functional by Fall, 2008. The new annex will provide three classrooms, a math lab, and fourteen faculty office spaces.
Winter Term 2008 a Success
WKU’s 2008 Winter Term ended January 18 and, with enrollment topping the mark set in the first two years of the program, it’s being called a resounding success. Approximately 2,239 students took a Winter Term course, a nearly 20 percent increase over 2007. WKU’s Winter Term has grown to become one of the largest in the nation.
WKU Winter Term courses were held on the Bowling Green campus, at the Community College, at the regional campuses in Glasgow, Elizabethtown/Fort Knox and Owensboro, and online. During Winter Term, 132 students chose to study abroad, traveling to places such as the Bahamas, Germany, England, Mexico, Malaysia, Costa Rica and India, while earning college credit for their experiences.
But there’s no resting at DELO now that Winter Term is over; focus has immediately turned to developing and promoting Summer Sessions 2008...
United Federation of Teachers (UFT) Cohort Graduates
On January 17, WKU representatives traveled to New York City to celebrate the graduation of 30 students who received their master’s degree in communication disorders from WKU. The ceremony was held at the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) building in Manhattan. WKU Provost Barbara Burch spoke to the graduates and their loved ones in attendance saying, "This is our only graduation ceremony that takes place off the university’s campus."
The collaborative program between the Department of Communication Disorders in the College of Health and Human Services at WKU and the United Federation of Teachers in New York City enables full-time teachers to complete a masters degree in speech language pathology as part-time students. The students maintain their current teaching positions and complete course work on-line and on weekends. WKU, through the Division of Extended Learning and Outreach (DELO), has tailored the courses offered in New York to fit the needs of the UFT. In 2006 the program received regional and national recognition for distance education from the Association for Continuing Higher Education.
This new crop of WKU alumni is the third Cohort of UFT graduates to receive their degrees from WKU through this customized Distance Learning program. A fourth group is progressing through the program and a fifth group is set to begin this spring. The first Cohort of thirty students began their coursework in August 2002, and over the past five and a half years, more than one-hundred and forty students have been admitted to the program.
For more information regarding the Master of Science in Communication Disorders, contact Dr. Barbara Brindle, Interim Department Head at (270) 745-4299. To learn more about Cohort Programs, contact Laura Ricke at (270) 745-2481.
Independent Learning Kick–off
On January 23 and 24, Independent Learning held its 2nd annual kick–off in DUC lobby to promote its recent name change from Correspondence Study to Independent Learning. The purpose was to increase campus awareness and talk to students about the flexibility our program offers. The event was a success and photos from the kick–off are shown below:
Coming soon:
- ENG 200C Introduction to Literature
- MA 109C General Math
- SPCH 161C Business & Professional Speaking
Several new Independent Learning courses have been added recently including:
- CS 245 Introduction to Programming: C#
- CS 270 Introduction to Web Programming
- CIS 243 Principles of MIS
- CIT 310 Systems Architecture I
- CIT 312 Systems Architecture II
- CIT 330 Systems Development I
- CIT 332 Systems Development II
- CIT 350 Database Administration I
- CIT 370 Telecommunications I
- DMA 055C Basic Algebra Skills
- GEOG 110 World Regional Geography
- PS 510 Problems in National Government
- PS 549 Problems in Public Administration
For more information about the Independent Learning program, visit our website at www.wku.edu/il or call our office at 745-4158.
2008 CE Motorcycle Course Schedule
The 2008 Motorcycle Course dates have been released and registration is under way. The dates for this year were released the third week of January and the first class of the season is already full! WKU currently hosts two Motorcycle Safety Foundation courses:
The Basic Rider Course is a fundamentals class for new riders or experienced riders who would like to enhance their riding skills. Cycle and classroom experiences introduce basic motorcycle operation to students and help to develop strategies. Participants must be 16 to enroll and must have written parental consent if under 18. Proper protective attire is required. Motorcycles and helmets are provided for instruction. Successful completion leads to license skill test waiver and a possible insurance discount. WKU offers 12-15 Basic Rider Courses each year in Bowling Green.
The Experienced Rider Course is for the experienced rider who wants to refresh and practice street riding maneuvers. The course is intended to help the very experienced rider hone riding skills and develop finesse. The ERC also emphasizes strategies to reduce risks. The ability to skillfully handle various riding situations is developed throughout the course and reinforced by specially designed on-cycle maneuvers. WKU offers two public Experienced Rider Courses each year.
Both the Basic and Experienced Rider Courses can be scheduled for groups of 8-12 who ride together or would like to take the course together. We've hosted courses for riding groups, work colleagues and church groups. For more information on scheduling a group course, contact Sharon at 745-1910.
For more information, visit www.wku.edu/ce.
From the Marketing Group...
Thanks to everyone who has been using the new online Marketing Project Request (MPR) for advertisements, brochures, website updates, etc. This has been a great tool to help keep Marketing projects organized and on track. If you haven’t used the MPR yet, that’s OK!
It's easy to use... To get to the form, click on the Marketing link on the DELO home page. Fill out all of the information as completely as possible, including date needed, size of the project, etc., and then click the "Send It In!" button. If the request includes more than one element (such as an ad, a flyer, and a press release to promote your project), be sure to include that in the "Additional Comments " section.
Let us know if you have suggestions for improvements to the form.
Testing Center
The DELO Testing Center would like to invite Distance Learning Faculty to use the Testing Center as part of their online courses. The facility provides proctors for active monitoring of students while they take exams and the Testing Center will also send testing materials to other facilities if students are taking exams out of town.
The DELO Testing Center is located in Garrett Conference Center and proctors exams Monday through Friday, 8 am – 4 pm, and Saturdays, 8 am – 1 pm (by appointment only). The center consists of 20 computer stations equipped with Securexam, a highly restrictive browser which prevents students from leaving Blackboard. It also contains six tables for written exams, five overhead surveillance cameras to deter cheating, a noise monitoring device, and storage bins for students’ personal items.
If you would like more information about the DELO Testing Center, you can visit their website at www.wku.edu/testing, send an email to delo.testing@wku.edu, or call 270-745-5122.
Knicely Center News
Upcoming Bridal Fair
The Party 1 Superstore 2008 Wedding Celebration will be at the Carroll Knicely Conference Center on Saturday, February 16, from 9 am to 4 pm. Prospective brides, grooms, and their families and friends will be able to visit numerous booths displaying the latest in wedding and reception options. The WKU Restaurant and Catering Group will be on hand to show off their work. The Bridal Fair will feature taste-testings, discounts, and door prizes. Everyone who is planning a wedding in the near future or who will be part of a wedding should attend the show!
New Meeting Room
The new meeting room at the Carroll Knicely Conference Center is almost ready to go! It will take the space of the former Community College Classrooms 001, 002, & 003. The room will have a capacity of approximately 200 people and is expected to be available for use by the middle of March. A name for the new room will be decided soon.
DELO eNewsletter
The goal of the DELO eNewsletter is to share highlights of DELO and the individual DELO units with employees and interested individuals.
You are an important part of the success of the DELO newsletter. Submit information or story ideas to Elizabeth Main, (elizabeth.main@wku.edu) by the end of the month. Topics could include new program offerings, new employees, contracts made with outside organizations, professional awards received by you or your employees... anything that your fellow DELO employees might be interested in. Don’t be timid – take this opportunity to brag on your professional accomplishments!
Please send your information or comments to Elizabeth. We want to make the information in this newsletter interesting and useful for you.
Past issues of the DELO eNewsletter can be found at www.wku.edu/delo/NewslettersHTML/newsletterArchive.htm.