Contents
Message from the Dean
Welcome to the September DELO Newsletter.
And the HEAT goes on. We did it! August was the hottest and driest on record in Bowling Green. It’s now time for major relief from all this, but nothing yet as we move into September. The only break from this furnace that Ginny and I had was five days with our entire family in the Teton Mountains at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, including a day trip to Yellowstone National Park to see Old Faithful another time, and she was... faithful that is. We had a great time with the grandkids and enjoyed 50 degree nights and 70 degree days. Sorry you all couldn’t have been there, but I thought about you... maybe a little.
August was another busy month for everyone at DELO. We bid farewell and best wishes to Scott Blake with one of our famous potluck lunches, and we welcomed Amy Fitzpatrick into our DELO family as his replacement. She is a quick learner and is well on her way to success in our Cohort unit. Welcome, Amy.
We have been busy coordinating the campus United Way Campaign. The only way that I can accomplish my role as campus chair this year is due to the fantastic assistance, hard work, and great ideas of Brenda Dickson. She continues to see that I stay on task, sees to every detail, and sees that every WKU employee has the opportunity to participate. THANK YOU, Brenda. I hope that each of you will give serious thought to participating in the campaign this year... every bit counts and UW does great things for our area’s less fortunate.
We held a very special event in August which was another first for our division. Through the generosity of Ward and Ann Elliott, we were able to dedicate our Board Room as the Ward & Ann Elliott Board Room. The event was very impressive and couldn't have come off better in my opinion. Thanks to the entire Knicely Conference Center staff for another super event... it was "Knicely done" once again folks.
Winter Term and Independent Learning were once again actively promoted at the Welcome Back Western event. Even though the T–shirts said "A COOL PLACE TO BE THIS WINTER", it was one of the hottest days we had and really didn’t change the temperature on the South Lawn. Thanks to the Winter, IL, and marketing staffs for another great promotion effort.
The rest of my month was filled with Chamber events, Engaging the Spirit Conference, new faculty picnic at the "Cave", trips to Owensboro, Frankfort, and lots of other ports of call, and doing all those fun things that deans do. It was another full month as you will see in this letter, and September is looking even more exciting for us.
Lastly, I’m happy to report that Provost Burch had a successful knee replacement operation, is doing great in recovery, and will be back to work next week. Welcome back Dr. Burch.
Happy September... enjoy the letter.
Don S.
Elizabethtown/Ft. Knox News
WKU Fall ’07 Kick-off Activities
Our regional teacher education faculty and staff at E-Town / Ft. Knox met to coordinate field activities in the area schools where our students will be located for the fall. Shown in the left photo are (left side of table, front to back) Gena Jeffries and Kathryn Smith, (right side of table, front to back) Melia Mattingly, Vivian Robertson, Gail Smallwood, Bea Cobb, Gail Ledford, and (standing) Ronda Sullivan. In the right photo are (front to back) Gena Jefferies, Melia Mattingly, Vivian Robertson, Rosemary Porter, and Kathryn Smith. Gena, Vivian, and Kathryn are our Elementary Education instructors. Melia Mattingly is our Middle Grades Education Instructor and Rosemary Porter provides Literacy instruction.
Our teacher education faculty hosted the annual "student tea" for all new teacher ed majors beginning this fall. Kathryn Smith, ELED Instructor, facilitated the program and talked to a full house. Students learned about their electronic portfolios, field activities, what to expect in their classes, and generally got to meet each other and all the local faculty. We are confident these bright, future teachers are off to a good start.
Review of Institutional Effectiveness
Pictured below left in front of the Patton Museum are (left to right) Dr. Dick Bowker, Tuesdi Helbig, Doug Kimbler, Gina Huff, Ryan Massa-McKinley, Sharon Hunter, and Bob Cobb during their visit to the WKU’s programs in Elizabethtown and Ft. Knox on August 22nd. The day was devoted to reviewing WKU programs and challenges for the community and for the military personnel at Ft. Knox. It was very productive for all participants and we look forward to working with these key WKU personnel as our community grows in the next few years.
Shown above at the center and on the right is the group meeting with Army Continuing Education ESO Rob Eagin and Army Education Specialist Greg Wade. This session focused on education programs for active duty Army personnel.
WKU Participates in Orientation Session for ECTC Students
A number of WKU faculty and staff joined ECTC faculty for an orientation session for ECTC students who want to become teachers. Most of these students plan to transfer to WKU’s teacher education programs in Elizabethtown as juniors.
Above left, WKU E-Town / Ft. Knox Elementary Education Instructor Kathryn Smith discusses WKU programs with the group. Above right, Dr. Sam Evans, WKU Dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, discusses teacher preparation with two students interested in WKU.
Gail Smallwood, E-Town / Ft. Knox Academic Advisor, and Bea Cobb, Military Programs Counselor, provide information for a student interested in transferring to WKU.
Ms. Nannette Johnston (right), Superintendent of Hardin County Schools, was the keynote speaker for the kickoff. Here, she discusses becoming a teacher with two ECTC students.
E-Town / Ft. Knox WKU Elementary Education Instructor Vivian Robertson chats with future WKU students at our information table.
Several ECTC students won WKU door prizes at the kickoff.
WKU E-Town / Ft. Knox Elementary Education Instructor Gena Jeffries and Hardin County Kentucky Education Association President Bill Woolridge assisted in providing information to students on the teaching profession.
WKU E-Town / Ft. Knox Student Services Coordinator Gail Ledford and ECTC Education Professor Julie Coy were able to relax when the event was almost over, after a very long week.
BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure Law) Task Force Meeting
The Governor’s Base Realignment and Task Force met in August at Ft. Knox. This task force is comprised of state officials and key military and civilian organizations involved in preparing Kentucky for the impact on the major transformation underway at Ft. Knox. The August meeting included Commanding Generals from most of the organizations moving to Ft. Knox in the next few years. Approximately $800 million in new construction has been approved for Ft. Knox to prepare for new incoming missions, much of which is underway at this time. Studies are underway assessing the impact of approximately 12,000 to 15,000 new people moving into the region as related to schools, workforce, transportation, communications, technology, and a number of other areas. WKU President Gary Ransdell and Board Chairperson Lois Gray were appointed by the Governor as members of the Task Force. Pictured are the WKU representatives in attendance at the meeting.
Dr. Gary Ransdell conferred with Major General Sean Byrne, Commanding General of the U. S. Army Human Resources Command, which is moving its headquarters to Ft. Knox from Alexandria, Virginia, and will also move major operations from St. Louis and Indianapolis to Ft. Knox. This unit involves moving approximately 3,500 positions to Ft. Knox, most of which are civil service jobs.
In the photo at right, WKU representatives Dr. Dennis George (left) and University Attorney Debra Wilkins, discuss the impact of BRAC with Ernest Drott (center), Chief of the Military Integration Division of the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Student of the Month
SFC Roy Taylor is the Elizabethtown/Ft. Knox student of the month. He is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and hopes to teach and coach after graduation. Roy said that he decided to enter college while still in the military because he saw it as a way to better himself. Roy is from Kentucky and has a 14 year old son.
Exceptional Volunteer, Barbara Flowers
WKU E-Town volunteer Barbara Flowers (seated) assists an interested student with program information at our reception desk. Barbara recently retired from the Army Continuing Education System at Ft. Knox and provides approximately 20 hours of volunteer services for us each week. She is outstanding with our students and is a good ambassador for WKU. We are very thankful for Barbara’s generous help.
Glasgow News
Faculty Convocation
Advisors sign–in participants.
Attendance at the Fall 07 Faculty Convocation at Glasgow was great! The morning began with a continental breakfast followed by remarks from Dr. Juanita Bayless, Campus Director; Wanda Quiggins, Glasgow Bookstore Manager; Thomas Gaffin, Technology Specialist; and James McCaslin, Assistant Director.
Attendees listen intently.
Afterwards a series of breakout sessions was available to all in attendance, which included Dr. Sally Kuhlenschmidt, Achieving Excellence: Growing Your Teaching at WKU; Dr. Richard C. Miller, Diversity at WKU; and Dr. Juanita Bayless, Campus Safety at WKU-Glasgow.
Lunch is served.
Lunch was followed by various departmental breakout sessions. We want to thank all those who attended for making it such a success.
Dr. Richard Miller
Dr. Sally Kuhlenschmidt
Eduspace Training (MATH)
WKU Glasgow hosted training for Math for Elementary Teachers on August 15, 2007. The training was conducted by Stephen Perry from Houghton Mifflin Company on the implementation and use of Eduspace, a computer based learning tool for Math 211 and Math 212. Seven members of the WKU mathematics department attended the training.
Transition to College Workshop
A group of Educational Opportunity Centers participants met at the Glasgow Regional Center on Wednesday, August 22, 2007 for a workshop designed to facilitate their transition to college. The group received information on:
- Study Skills
- Test Preparation
- Time Management
- Tutoring Resources
- Using TopNet and WKU Webmail
- E-mail Etiquette
Group discussion also focused on finding solutions for some common roadblocks to success in higher education, including securing reliable transportation and child care and building a personal support network of positive family, friends, other students, and GRC faculty and staff. Each student received a small packet of school supplies, including a copy of the book, 100 Things Every Adult College Student Ought to Know.
Rank I Meeting
Our thanks go out to Dr. Sam Evans, Dr. Tabitha Daniel, Dr. Lisa Murley and Ms. Crissy Priddy, who traveled to the Glasgow Campus for a Rank I informational meeting. The meeting was held at Glasgow and sent via IVS to Albany. Over 70 potential students emailed Dr. Bayless expressing an interest in the return of the Rank I program to the Glasgow area. Of those, 37 attended the meeting.
Rank I Attendees
Dr. Sam Evans, Dr. Tabitha Daniel, Dr. Lisa Murley, Crissy Priddy, and Dr. Juanita Bayless
IVS Upgrade Training
The summer has seen changes occur in the Glasgow IVS rooms. Due to the changes, James McCaslin presented an upgrade training session for all facilitators and staff involved with IVS rooms. Many thanks go out to the IVS team of John Coe, Todd Hughes and Jason Stella for all their hard work. We really appreciate the upgrade!
James McCaslin demonstrates the new equipment.
Participants view the new Hi Def video.
Staff Changes
Congratulations to Mary Ann Bokkon as she begins a new position. Mary Ann has been hired by the Department of Student Financial Assistance as an Outreach Counselor to serve each of the Regional Campuses in Glasgow, Owensboro, and Elizabethtown. Mary Ann has been working in Glasgow as an Educational Opportunity Centers Counselor and she brings a wealth of knowledge with her. After an initial orientation in Bowling Green, Mary Ann will visit each campus on a weekly basis. Congratulations, Mary Ann!
We would like to welcome Anne Patterson as our new ELED Site Instructor. Anne has long been associated with the Glasgow Campus. She taught Math classes for Glasgow while we were at the Liberty Street location and before. Anne has lived in Glasgow for the past 34 years. She and her husband, Ray, have 2 children. Anne’s hobbies include antique cars and shopping. Welcome aboard, Anne!
Amy Seymour has been appointed Full-time Geography instructor for the Glasgow and Elizabethtown campuses. Her office will be housed at the Glasgow Campus. Amy has taught as adjunct at Glasgow since the Spring 2006 semester. Amy lives in Munfordville with her husband Tres. Congratulations, Amy!
Catherine Nash is completing her MPA and is doing her internship at Glasgow this fall with Dr. Juanita Bayless. Catherine plans to finish her MPA in June, 2008. She is a Glasgow native and has a 2–year–old daughter. Her hobbies include running and exercise.
Owensboro News
The WKU Owensboro teacher orientation and reception was held on August 21st. This was a time for the teachers to meet Dr. Joseph Etienne, our new interim director, and also receive information about the upcoming semester.
WKU Owensboro greeted all classes with cookies during the week of August 27th to welcome them to the fall semester. In the left photo below, Dr. Joe Etienne hands out cookies to Elementary Education students. In the center, Darryl Dockery, WKU Owensboro music teacher, tries to keep all the cookies to himself!! On the right, Dr. Etienne’s grandsons, Julian and Carson, help pass out cookies to Judy Graves’ Kentucky History class....(at least those they didn’t get for themselves first!!)
Welcome to WKU Picnic
On August 4th, WKU-O hosted the Welcome to WKU Picnic at WKU-O (Owensboro Community and Technical College campus). All alumni, students, parents, and friends were invited to help new and returning WKU students kick off the year. About 40-50 people attended the annual event put on by the Alumni Association and all had a good time. WKU staff present were Josh Hawkins (Alumni Relations), Brice Boyer (Admissions), Dr. Joseph Etienne (Interim Director WKU-O Campus), and Neil Bradley (Student Services Coordinator).
Distance Learning News
Testing Center Gives Presentation
The DELO Testing Center was presented at the Engaging the Spirit Conference on August 20 as a "Tool for Student Success". Tabatha Spain, Testing Specialist, discussed the structure, policies, and procedures for faculty and students using the proctored testing services. Dr. Margie Bowker, Part-time Instructor in the Biology Dept., presented her findings on using the Testing Center to allow students to take exams for her class three times each. She used randomized pools of questions in Blackboard to create tests that delivered different questions each time a student attempted the exam. Her research showed that student grades, and more importantly, student learning in her courses significantly improved by allowing students to use a flexible, multiple-attempt testing format.
Tegrity Access in Blackboard
Online instructors using Blackboard will notice that a new feature has been added in all course sites. At the bottom of each course navigation menu on the left-hand side is a link titled "Tegrity Classes". This option gives instructors access to Tegrity® recording software. Tegrity® enables instructors to easily capture audio and video from different sources while incorporating other teaching materials such as documents and images into their recordings.
Tegrity® is very user-friendly and instructors are encouraged to explore its potential for use in their online courses. Instructors can visit the Technology Services for Online Teachers (TSOnline) Center at http://www.wku.edu/tsonline/tegrityCampus.html to access tutorials and learn how to record lectures. The TSOnline team is available to help guide instructors through the steps as they learn the software. Interested persons can also call 745-5107 to schedule a one–on–one demonstration.
DELO Receives National Marketing Award
Jenni Perry, DELO Marketing Specialist, received national recognition by winning the Crystal Marketing Award from the Association for Continuing Higher Education. The Crystal Marketing Award recognizes the ACHE institution that achieves significant results from a marketing communications campaign. The award recognizes the 2006 WKU Summer Sessions Campaign themed "Think Summer, Think Western!" The ACHE president wrote, "Your work reflects the high excellence to which all ACHE members aspire." The 2007 Crystal Marketing Award will be presented at the ACHE Annual Meeting on Oct. 29 in Roanoke, Va.
More information on the National Marketing Award is available here.
Carroll Knicely Conference Center Board Room Named in Honor of Ward and Ann Elliott
A recognition ceremony honoring Bowling Green Realtor Ward Elliott and his wife, Ann, was held on Thursday, August 30th at the Carroll Knicely Conference Center. The Elliott’s had recently made a $100,000 commitment to the Knicely Center to contribute to the continued growth of the University. WKU decided to name the board room in their honor and the new lettering was unveiled at the ceremony.
Mr. Elliott has been using the Knicely Center board room frequently over the past 12 years to conduct real estate classes. It will now be known as the Ward & Ann Elliott Board Room. Dr. Don Swoboda, DELO Dean, stated, "This gift will allow us to create the first stage of an endowment for the Knicely Center, which will be used for continuous maintenance, refurbishing, electronic teaching technology and conferencing enhancements, and operations to allow us to continue to offer state-of-the-art conferencing and event facilities to the Bowling Green Community and beyond."
More information on the Ward & Ann Elliott Board Room is available here.
Carroll Knicely Conference Center Receives Recognition in a National Publication
The Association of Collegiate Conference and Events Directors – International (ACCED–I) placed a spotlight on the Carroll Knicely Conference Center in the most recent edition of their e–Communiqué newsletter. ACCED–I is a nonprofit association for collegiate conference and events professionals and the newsletter is published nationally in print and online five times per year to its more than 1,400 members. The spotlight on the Knicely Center can be found at http://www.acced-i.org/imis_web/StaticContent/3/Pub/Aug07/home.htm. ACCED-I has increased the visibility and enhanced the stature of the collegiate conference and events profession since 1980. This spotlight brings national attention to the Knicely Center, to WKU and to the city of Bowling Green.
DELO Welcomes Amy Fitzpatrick
Amy Fitzpatrick has joined DELO as Cohort Programs Specialist. Amy has a bachelor's degree from WKU in Communication Studies and is currently working on her MPA (Master of Public Administration) at Western. Amy brings over 5 years of student relations and advising experience from working with WIA (Workforce Investment Act) and TRADE (Trade Adjustment Assistance Act) students through the BRADD (Barren River Area Development District) office. She can be reached at 745-2710 or amy.fitzpatrick@wku.edu. Please join in welcoming Amy to the DELO team!
DELO Promotes Programs
• New Faculty Orientation Fair: Several DELO team members attended the New Faculty Orientation Fair on August 16th to promote Summer and Winter Terms, Independent Learning through Correspondence, and Distance Learning opportunities. Many new faculty members expressed an interest in teaching for these units, which creates a win-win situation for faculty and students alike.
• Welcome Back Western: The DELO team braved soaring temperatures during Welcome Back Western at DUC South Lawn on August 29 to promote several extended learning initiatives. Hundreds of students were encouraged to spin the prize wheel to win great prizes such as Winter Term t-shirts, Summer Sessions string bags, pens and candy. Many students also inquired about Independent Learning through Correspondence and received a handy tool kit and chip clip as souvenirs.
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.