MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL
If you personally do not celebrate the miracle of Christmas, I wish you a Happy or Merry or whatever the appropriate wish is for the day or days that you do celebrate during this upcoming holiday season. I must admit that receiving half of the month of December as "holiday" days certainly puts me, and I hope you, in a happy and thankful mood toward our employer, Western Kentucky University. I know our conference folks will have some work days during the official break, but I also know that Sue sees to it that you're not shorted too much. This winter break is a tremendous benefit for us, so thank the president when you get a chance. And be sure that each of you takes some time to relax and enjoy this special time.
I know that many of you and/or your family members are going through some rough times right now, and I also know that you have some very strong support folks in our DELO family. Give us a chance to help in whatever ways we can. A spare minute to share, a shoulder to lean on, an addition of a prayer, are all pretty no-cost examples of what I've seen being given to one another in DELO. What great people I work with, THANKS for the opportunity.
As we finish out the last month of calendar year 2006, we find ourselves checking our markers of progress nearly half way through our current program year. I continue to be pleased and proud of our success. We are progressing well in all of our program areas, which means that we are serving a great many people and helping learners of all ages make their dreams come true. THANKS for the good jobs you do.
November began with the Board of Regents meeting and Advisory committee meeting in Owensboro on the 2nd, with a tremendous Chamber Ribbon Cutting event at the Knicely Center that evening; the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors retreat on the 3rd; and the North American Association of Summer Sessions in KC the 5th-8th made the first week a full one. The month closed with the first annual Kentucky Engagement Conference in Lexington. (I got lost getting out of Lexington, but hey, it was dark and some streets were closed for repairs...I'm definitely asking Santa for one of those electronic directions gizmos.) In the middle of the month we spent a week with Adam in Arizona which was fantastic...he thinks I'm great. (If any of you don't know who Adam is, you will lose points on the final exam.)
The Carroll Knicely Conference Center looks festive as usual with all of the holiday decorations. The conference center team has the heaviest monthly holiday event schedule they've ever had for the December ahead. It's a great feeling to know that we will have a part in helping nearly 3,000 people have a positive holiday experience at the Knicely Center this year. Good luck CKCC team...we know that it will all be "Knicely done".
DELO staff will, of course, continue to work hard in December. It will take just a little extra planning time to fold in all of the open houses and holiday events. For all of you early risers, I will be with the other deans and administrators (including the president) serving a free breakfast at DUC on December 13th; I'm on the 7 am shift and I know I'll see many of your shining faces over the biscuits and gravy.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
Don
The Owensboro staff celebrated Thanksgiving together on November 20 with a pot luck lunch. All the staff, facilitators, and guests attended. The food was scrumptious and everyone had a great time.
WKU-Owensboro participated in the Owensboro Christmas Parade on Saturday, November 18. Big Red rode in a new red truck donated by Don Moore Automotive. He walked and greeted children along the parade route. Dan Lanham, Chair of the Owensboro Advisory Council and his son rode in a VW convertible and WKU-O students rode in a second VW convertible.
Congratulations to Travis Castlen, winner of the Winter Term Kickoff drawing. Travis won a WKU sweatshirt and hat. Travis (on left) receives his prize from Neil Bradley, Student Services Coordinator.
The WKU-Owensboro staff will be hosting a Christmas appreciation cookie/punch reception for the Owensboro Community/Technical College staff on December 6. Many members of the OCTC staff assist WKU-O staff during the year, and this event provides the opportunity for WKU to say thank you to OCTC.
The WKU-O staff is adopting a Christmas Wish family in lieu of exchanging gifts with one another for Christmas. The staff started this tradition several years ago and has been blessed by it.
There’s a definite chill in the air and anticipation of the holidays is on everyone’s mind. Everyone is busily preparing to complete the fall term and getting ready for winter and spring before enjoying the December break. Along with this, there has been time for special events and traditions.
The Glasgow Campus was privileged to have IndigiDance perform at the campus. IndigiDance, a family act from Australia, sang and danced, and brought a touch of the Australian Outback to us. Students, faculty, staff and community members were engaged in an experience few would otherwise ever have been able to see. We want to thank Barry Kaufkins, Folk Studies instructor at the Glasgow Campus, for bringing this group to campus, and for his fearless attempt to learn one of the dances.
The name of this instrument is Didgeridoo. The young man played traditional Australian Outback music and then performed a mixture of aborigine and rap together. What a treat!
There is something special about sharing food that brings people closer together. Thus, once monthly, we hold a No Holiday-Holiday. This is an occasion, prompted by no occasion, to bring in food and share it with everyone. Anyone wanting to participate brings a dish. All dishes are placed in one central location, and everyone munches the entire day. Now, this is not the best for those watching their weight, but the food is delicious and the fellowship is great.
The Campus Activities Board recently treated the Glasgow students to free pizza. Needless to say, everyone enjoyed it to the last crumb! Everyone at Glasgow would like to thank CAB.
Edmonson County High School has committed itself to instilling the value of postsecondary education in its students. For two years now, Edmonson County freshmen have toured the Glasgow Regional Center to learn about the educational opportunities that await the students as they graduate from high school.
On Monday, November 20, touring the Glasgow Campus was chosen by 6th grade students from Campbellsville as a reward for showing exceptional improvement in CATs scores. They toured the South Central Kentucky Cultural Center, stopped by Pizza Hut, and toured the Glasgow Campus. Paul Haskins, Director of the Glasgow Technical College, provided door prizes for those attending.
WKU-Glasgow hosted GRECC on November 21st as they provided a workshop for area educators on completing student Individual Learning Plans.
The last blood drive for 2006 was held at the Glasgow Campus. With the help of everyone involved the drive provided over 18 units of blood. Thanks to everyone who participated.
One of our favorite times of year is the annual Glasgow Thanksgiving Dinner. Everyone on campus is invited to bring family, friends, and food to the dinner. There are some really good cooks at the Glasgow Campus! This year we had in excess of 85 attending. It is a time when we are so very thankful for all of our blessings.
The Christmas tree at the Glasgow Campus is filled with special memories. A tradition that began in the late 1980s and continues through the present time is that each student worker, staff member and full time faculty member who has worked at the Glasgow Campus is represented by a golden ornament engraved with their name and the year that they began. The tree is decorated with these special ornaments and brings warm memories to everyone during this special season. We currently have over 200 ornaments and continue to add to these yearly. One of the fun activities is to try to find your ornament on the tree each year.
As part of a new partnership between WKU-Glasgow and WKU's Counseling and Testing Center, Counseling and Testing Center staff members visited several classes to speak to students about a variety of topics, including Text Anxiety, Study Skills, and Social Norms.
Dr. Juanita Bayless and Phyllis Reed, academic Advisor, participated in the Monroe County High School Senior Year Task Force. The purpose of the task force is to explore ways to improve and strengthen the senior year, to build successful transitions from high school to college and careers, and to increase student enrollment in postsecondary areas.
We are pleased to introduce Mary Ann Bokkon. Mary Ann grew up on a beef cattle and tobacco farm in Russell Springs, the eldest of four children. Her mother, Joan Brockman, was enrolled here at Glasgow in the RN program while Mary Ann was enrolled on the hill in Bowling Green. She worked with the Educational Opportunity Centers office in Bowling Green as an intern for 2 years before coming to this position. She is married to Rob Bokkon, who is the wine manager at the Chuck Evans Liquor Outlet by the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green. They have one son, Dorian, who is two and a half. Her favorite hobbies are playing with her son, knitting, cooking with her husband, photography, genealogy, music, reading novels and watching movies. She is a huge fan of the new Battlestar Galactica series on the Sci Fi Channel. She is a volunteer for the Warren County Cemetery Documentation Project and lately she has been reading a lot of non-fiction books about Melungeons.
WKU-Glasgow psychology students have formed a Psychology Club, which will focus on two types of activities: career development and community service. A few of the career enhancement activities the group has discussed are touring mental health facilities and inviting speakers to come to campus. The Psychology Club decided to focus immediate efforts in the area of community service on the Glasgow Health Care and Rehabilitation Center nursing home. Club members will help with the annual Christmas Party on December 21, and plan to purchase gift items for some of the residents from their "angel tree." All psychology majors and minors who attend the Glasgow campus are eligible to join the Psychology Club. Eligible students may join Psi Chi, the national honor society in psychology, which is affiliated with the Bowling Green campus. An initiation ceremony will be held in the Spring for new Psi Chi members. Dr. Shana Pack is the sponsor of the Glasgow Psychology Club.
WKU Glasgow is pleased to announce a scholarship to encourage WKU Glasgow students’ participation in learning experiences beyond the traditional classroom based curriculum. This scholarship is made possible by contributions to the Glasgow Campus Foundation account. The recipient will be announced on February 7, 2007.
The Ralph Bunche Community Foundation is involved in preserving the Ralph Bunche School and developing a Community Center. Part of the Glasgow Regional Center’s commitment to community engagement is represented by the campus members serving on the Advisory Council, who include:
Student Bernie Davenport won the Tshirt on Picture Day (November 14).
Student Leanna Milby's picture was also taken on Picture Day.
Leslie Hester, also a student, won a Tshirt on Picture Day.
Student Lucille Buckley and Leanna Milby (previous picture) won WKU totes on Picture Day.
Student Alcides Zelaya signs up for a door prize on Picture Day.
The Carroll Knicely Conference Center has been certified as a One-Stop Shop by the Association of Collegiate Conference and Events Directors – International (ACCED-I). This certification has been given to only 20 other campus venues including Baylor University, the University of Idaho, the University of Wisconsin, and Colorado State University. The Conference Center is the only facility to be awarded this certification in Kentucky and Indiana.
ACCED-I’s One-Stop Shop is the industry’s premier resource for defining and identifying conforming campus venues. A certified one-stop shop is the most efficient and customer-friendly way a planner can secure services. Benefits of one-stop shopping include working with one contact to coordinate a program and receiving one contract and one bill from the university. This streamlining of conferencing and events coordination is intended to more closely match the practices of convention facilities and finer hotels.
Commenting on the program, ACCED-I executive director Deborah Blom said, "Our members coordinate the campus visits of nearly 5 million persons annually. The concept of one-stop shop certification originated with our membership because they believe it will help meeting planners to provide those millions of visitors a more predictable, enjoyable and enriching campus experience."
Congratulations to the staff of the Carroll Knicely Conference Center on this certification!
The workshop is designed for local government elected officials and program staff, community-based organizations, non-profit organizations, volunteers and community leaders, government consultants, education faculty and staff, and Master of Public Administration (MPA) graduate students.
Topics covered will include grant researching, proposal development, budget development, ethical considerations, grant administration and more. The instructor, Dr. Victoria Gordon, director of the Center for Local Government in the WKU Political Science Department, has 15 years experience in local government including successful grant writing and administration. The course will also feature guest speakers from a variety of fields.
• Grant Writing Workshop press release
• Grant Writing Workshop website
Emergency providers, outdoor professionals and Western Kentucky University students will be able to receive Wilderness First Responder (WFR) training during the 2007 WKU Winter Term.
Hands-on training will help enable participants to provide first aid in areas where advanced medical care may be hours away. The Wilderness First Responder curriculum uses the principles of long-term care, improvised resources, and varying environmental conditions as the framework for learning.
The course is scheduled for Jan. 12-20 at WKU and various field locations in Warren County. Students who successfully complete the Wilderness First Responder course will receive a Wilderness First Responder card and an American Heart Association Adult Heartsaver CPR card (or equivalent).
• Wilderness First Responder Training press release
• Wilderness First Responder Training website
Educators will be able to take the FranklinCovey "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" during the January Winter Term. The class is open to principals, teachers, and other school administrators and staff from the WKU regional service area. The class will meet on the WKU campus Tuesday and Thursday nights and is a web enhanced course, so participants must have access to a computer with an internet connection.
The course is designed to help participants create principle-centered learning environments that improve performance and effectiveness, reduce conflicts and disciplinary problems, and enhance cooperation and teamwork. Participants will come away with a robust and tactical implementation plan to fully integrate the 7 Habits into their lives.
• 7 Habits for Educators press release
• 7 Habits for Educators website
Up 335 student enrollments from this same date last year, it looks like Winter Term 2007 is going to be another booming success. With over 185 faculty members teaching 250 course sections, students are bound to find a course this January that will help them progress towards graduation. Currently, 2,275 students are enrolled in a Winter Term course. Of that number, 869 students are taking advantage of online opportunities and 45 students are participating in a study abroad experience.
Winter Term website...
The DELO eNews was honored in November as "Best Newsletter" in an advertising competition sponsored by the Professional Marketing Association. Competing with several "paper-based" newsletters, the eNews was awarded First Place by judges from Lovell Communications in Nashville, TN.
We are proud of the quality of the DELO eNews and are very pleased to have received this recognition. However, none of it would be possible without the submission of information from all of the DELO units. It is in that spirit that we share this award with all of you.
