Office of Academic Affairs VCAA News May 2003

Dear Colleagues, We end our academic year on a high note. New campus leadership has brought renewed optimism and excitement. With the campus’ parameters of engagement, we have set upon a journey guided by open and clear communication. Through active engagement of faculty, staff and students the restoration of administrative structures and procedures are well underway. We can point to developments that will change our institution in the not too distant future. A bridge over the St. Joseph River and residence halls appear within reach. Acting positions have been drastically reduced. Our Capital Campaign is nearing its goal. With the near completion of twenty-nine tenure track searches, we can point to success in increasing the number of under-represented groups. Beginning July 1, two new academic deans will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the campus. Three new programs have been approved by the Board of Trustees and the Indiana Commission of Higher Education. Thanks to the diligent and persistent work of the faculty, our students will have a more purposeful and meaningful general education curriculum to guide their learning. Our committee will look at summer school budgeting, staffing, programming, purpose, and other issues. And the really good news is that the legislature recently passed a budget for higher education that is more promising than initially anticipated. With graduation on the horizon, it is a time to say good-bye to those students whom we have mentored and nurtured over the years. We wish each of them success in the attainment of their personal and professional goals. The nostalgia that we feel as they leave us is hopefully replaced by the buoyed satisfaction that we have learned as much from them as they from us. As Indiana University South Bend graduates, they are well-prepared to continue the journey of life-long learning, providing service and leadership to their communities. On behalf of all the faculty, I thank our students for the privilege of teaching them and learning from them. I thank, too, all of the faculty and staff for their commitment and dedication this past year. I wish each of you a pleasant summer and a relaxed time with family and friends. News I am linking here to a recent memo from Gil Atnip, dated April 24, 2003, to the Academic Officers Committee regarding the Reorganization of the School of Continuing Studies We have received STEP II funding from the Indiana Professional Standards Board to bring together faculty from Education and Arts and Sciences to examine standards and to integrate standards into teacher preparation. This team will work during the summer and will focus on Math, Science, English, and Social Studies. The School of Education is also launching the Special Education Alternative Licensure (SEAL) program. It is an accelerated licensure program in mild interventions designed for teachers who are currently licensed in elementary or secondary education. This program will allow them to complete requirements for special education licensing in a 12 month period. Dr. Lee Smith is directing the SEAL program. For more information, see http://www.iusb.edu/~rllsmith/Tranteachiu.htm Kevin Smant  hosts another successful U100 End of Semester Party.  Well over half of the students came and many brought family members. Kevin felt that this was a very good thing for IUSB "because I think it’s good for the families of our students to know IUSB, to feel some kind of connection in the campus that their spouse/sibling/parent/child is attending.  The more connections we can foster, the better retention we will have; and that’s one of the goals of U100." IU School of Nursing Marion Broome has been named the next University Dean for the IU School of Nursing.  Dean Broome will begin her appointment some time next year.  Until Broome’s arrival, Executive Associate Dean Sharon Farley will serve as Interim University Dean. School of Business & Economics On Sunday, April 13 B&E held their Honors Luncheon with the E. M. Morris Award Recipient, John T. Phair, President of Holladay Properties. B&E also distributed scholarships and awards to our undergraduate and graduate students. Chancellor Reck, Dean Schwartz, Associate Dean Sabbaghi, Assistant Deans Jackson and Withey and Director of Constituent Integration Phillips, B&E faculty, parents and friends of scholarship and award recipients attended the event which we held in the IUSB Main Cafeteria. In all, over 150 people were present. On Tuesday and Wednesday, April 15-16 B&E was proud to host Alan Gilman, President and CEO of Shake ‘n Shake as our second executive in residence in the Crowe Chizek Executive-in-Residence Program. Mr. Gilman holds two academic degrees from IU Bloomington and is Vice Chair of the IU Foundation. He was born in South Bend. Prior to becoming chief executive at Steak ‘n Shake, Mr. Gilman worked for Sanger Harris, Abraham & Strauss, Federated Department Stores and Murjani Internatiuonal. Mr. Gilman spoke with one MBA and three undergraduate business classes and visited with faculty and business leaders during his visit to IUSB. On Thursday, April 17 B&E held their Alumni Reunion Dinner featuring the B&E Distinguished Alumni Award winner John J. Voorde, Portage Township Assessor. Chancellor Reck was the guest speaker. Over 75 alumni attended the event which was held in the IUSB Main Cafeteria. Alumni were taken for a tour of the campus prior to the event. Recently received results from the comprehensive post-test required of MBA graduating students and Undergraduate Program students showed our undergraduate average test score was 165.9 which places us among the top 4% of participating institutions.  In addition, students’ performances in various business disciplines were varied between the top 11% to 1%. 2003 Lester M. Wolfson Literary Award Winners Poetry 1st Place Stephen T. Henn "How to avoid being put back on the Ward" 2nd Place Jedediah Walls "I left alone" Fiction 1st Place Stephen Henn "Drifting in Indiana" 2nd Place Anthony Smith "Winter’s Friendship" Non-Fiction 1st Place Anne Farinella "The American Coin" 2nd Place Mark Van Lue "Peace at Ground Zero" Drama 1st Place Jedediah Walls Broken Glass Kudos: The Research & Development Committee announced the awards for the second round of Faculty Research & Curriculum Development Grants. You can see a complete list of awardees in the April GrantsLetter . Peter Bushnell, associate professor of biology and Daniel Olson, associate professor of sociology recently received the Distinguished Research Award from Chancellor Reck. The award  recipients received $5,000 each which will assist them in their research.  Dean Bill Schwartz has become a member of the Association for Integrity in Accounting, a public interest group formed to monitor government agencies that oversee the accounting industry.  The group, comprised of accountants and professors of accounting, will monitor the Security and Exchange Commission and other regulatory agencies responsible for overseeing the accounting agency.  Ralph Nader’s “Citizen Works” organization will help fund the work of the new association.  In the last few weeks the team of IUSB faculty and staff who has been responsible for the IUSB Connections Program was pleased to hear that the Journal of Developmental Education will be publishing their article, “Connections – An Integrated Community of Learners,” in the upcoming Volume 27.  This peer-reviewed article addresses the problem of retention among under-prepared students at this commuter campus, describes the design and pilot implementation of an integrated approach linking mathematics, writing, tutoring, peer mentoring, academic advising, and other social and academic components of a good college experience, and reports the strong retention results achieved among the students in the pilot, nearly 14% higher than the campus average for that entering cohort.  Please let us know if you would like other information about the program.  We will forward copies of the article upon publication. Team members include: Rebecca Brittenham, Richard Cook, Janet B. Hall, Phyllis Moore-Whitesell, Connie Ruhl-Smith, Morteza Shafii-Mousavi, Jay Showalter, Ken Smith, and Karen White, along with tutors, peer mentors, academic advisors, and other IUSB faculty and staff who have worked in the program. Jean Perrin has been notified by United Health Foundation (fiscal agent) that funds have been awarded to provide 40 scholarships ($993.00 per person) to attend CE classes which will result in participants receiving their CDA certification. This is wonderful news. We know that because of the low wages paid to EC caregivers, many could not attend educational programs without this support.  The funds are from the Indiana Association of Education for Young Children, State of Indiana. Thank you to Jean and the folks at United Health Services for securing these scholarships. Joan Metelli has been elected to serve a three-year term as a board member of the International Alliance of Women in Music. In LAS two faculty/administrative appointments have been made. Louise Collins will serve as chair of the Philosophy Department and Jane Beitler will serve as Interim Director of the LAS Academic Advising Center. Chemistry student, Cam Collins, who will be graduating this May, won the literature prize at the 26th Annual Student Paper Day held recently at St. Mary’s College.  This event is sponsored by the St. Joseph Valley Section of the American Chemical Society and this year students from IUSB, Notre Dame, and St. Mary’s competed.  Best wishes, Alfred J. Guillaume, Jr. Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs