September 2001

U.S. Secretary of Education to speak at UW-Green Bay

GREEN BAY -- U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige is a featured speaker at the Institute for Learning Partnership Fall Conference, October 11-13 at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Paige will be one of three speakers at the opening session beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 11, in the Phoenix Room of the University Union on the campus at 2420 Nicolet Dr. Other speakers include Jan Kettlewell, vice chancellor for pre-school through college initiatives for the University System of Georgia, and Judy Sargent, CESA 7 director of school improvement services.

The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Previous conferences featuring nationally known education advocates Alfie Kohn and Kati Haycock drew capacity crowds.

The public also is invited to a showcase of educators from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13. During the morning, graduates and students in the UW-Green Bay Applied Leadership in Teaching and Learning master's degree program and its professional development certificate program, undergraduate students, and Institute research teams will display materials. In the afternoon, area elementary, middle and high school educators will lead multicultural education workshops.

Reservation forms for the keynote address and the showcase of educators are available by calling the Institute for Learning Partnership at (920) 465-5555.

Paige became the seventh Secretary of Education last January 20. Born in Monticello, Mississippi, Paige is the son of public school educators. For 10 years, he was dean of the College of Education at Texas Southern University where he established the university's Center for Excellence in Urban Education. He is a former trustee and an officer of the board of education of the Houston (Texas) Independent School District and was named superintendent of schools for Houston in 1994. Paige has been honored with the Harold W. McGraw, Jr., Prize in Education and the National Association of Black School Educators' Superintendent of the Year award. In 2001, he was named National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators.

Kettlewell has headed the Georgia pre-kindergarten through16 initiatives since 1994. She began her career as a high school teacher and from 1981-1994 served as professor and dean of the School of Education and Allied Professions at Miami University (Ohio).

Sargent coordinates standards and assessment services for 38 school districts in Northeastern Wisconsin. She is active statewide with Wisconsin's Standards and Assessment Centers and is the author of several publications, including the recent Targets for Teachers: A Self Study Guide for Teachers in the Age of Standards (Pegius, 2000), She received the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators 2001 Outstanding Educator of the Year Award, Wisconsin Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development 2001 Outstanding Educator Award and the Zonta Achievement Award in Education.

The third annual Partnership conference is an opportunity for educators and the public to discuss educational progress in northeastern Wisconsin.

The Institute for Learning Partnership is a collaborative effort for improved teaching and learning in Northeastern Wisconsin. Its partners include the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, the 37 school districts of CESA 7 and the 26 school districts of CESA 8, teachers, education unions and associations, business and civic leaders, and school boards.

GREEN BAY -- The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay will dedicate Mary Ann Cofrin Hall, the University's first new classroom building since 1974, in ceremonies open to the public at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 28. The event will be outside the building's main entrance, which faces north toward the University Union.

The UW-Green Bay Wind Ensemble and Concert Choir, directed by Professors Kevin Collins and William Witwer, will provide music beginning at 9:30 a.m. Prof. John Salerno has composed a special dedicatory fanfare, "M.A.C.H.01," for the occasion.

Speakers include UW-Green Bay Interim Chancellor William Kuepper; UW-Green Bay Chancellor-designate Bruce Shepard; Nancy Ives, assistant vice president of the University of Wisconsin System; Dean Rodeheaver, UW-Green Bay assistant chancellor for planning and budget; and building designers John Oates of Somerville, Inc., Green Bay, and William Odell of Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, St. Louis.

Prof. Georjeanna Wilson-Doenges, a faculty member who helped to plan the building, and Joanelle Jackson, president of Student Government Association, will unveil the building's plaque.

Visitors will be able to take self-guided tours of the building after the ceremony.

Mrs. Mary Ann Cofrin, for whom the building is named, and her husband, Dr. David A. Cofrin, namesake of the University's library, will attend the event. The couple has been a long-time University benefactor.

The 120 square-foot building incorporates technologies that are expected to enable it to achieve one-half the energy cost of a comparable building. The nearly $20-million cost includes $17-million in state general-purpose revenue, private gifts, and in-kind contributions from Wisconsin Public Service Corp. which cooperated on some of the innovative energy technologies. Mary Ann Cofrin Hall provides 40 percent of the general instructional classrooms on campus.

Mary Ann Cofrin Hall is most easily reached by entering the University campus from Bay Settlement Road and proceeding on Phoenix Sports Center Drive. The drive to the new building is almost directly opposite the Sports Center parking lot.

Contacts: Connie Hofmann, NursingCenter, (215) 521-8511
Doug Bradley, UW Learning Innovations, (608) 265-0548

NEW YORK and GREEN BAY -- Americans ask a lot of their nurses. We expect them to be up-to-date on the latest medical technology, to work long shifts, and to treat our illnesses — all with expertise and a smile. What most people forget is that, in addition to the rigorous demands of their professional lives, nurses have families and responsibilities outside of work.

BSN-LINC, an interactive online degree program, offers nurses a convenient way to continue their education in their limited free time. Established through a cooperative effort between the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB), University of Wisconsin Learning Innovations (UWLI), and NursingCenter, the world's premier website for nurses, BSN-LINC stands for Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Learning Innovations, and NursingCenter.

"BSN-LINC provides tremendous flexibility for registered nurses," said Jane Muhl, Ph.D., R.N., Interim Dean of Professional Studies and Outreach at UW-Green Bay, "because they can enter the program while still maintaining a full- or part-time work schedule, which allows them to fit their study time around individual schedules, as well as to continue participating in other activities. Geographic boundaries will no longer prevent anyone from completing the degree."

According to Muhl, the program lets registered nurses with a diploma or an associate degree in nursing to further their nursing education and earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from UWGB, working in concert with four other University of Wisconsin Schools of Nursing. The Nursing program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission and has received preliminary approval from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Students receive individualized, Internet-based instruction from nursing faculty and progress through their studies from home or work. BSN-LINC's instructional design also focuses on cooperative learning and team-based problem solving, which incorporates the collaborative environment of the workplace.

One student, Paulette Vrem of St. Paul, Minnesota says, "The BSN-LINC online program is a great learning experience. With my busy lifestyle, I can 'enter' class when the time is right for me. I also find that I use critical thinking more with online classes than in a regular class setting because what I write is there for everyone to critique. My classmates are all professional nurses with varied backgrounds, and the information I contribute needs to be thought provoking. And the professors are very supportive and helpful."

Says another student, Paula Molina Shaver of Meridian, Idaho, "I moved from one side of the country to the other just as classes were starting, and my computer was in storage. So I visited the local library every day to study, print out, and turn in assignments. Since class was over the Internet, I didn't miss even one day!"

"NursingCenter is proud to join UWGB and UWLI in this outstanding program," said Andy McPhee, Director of Nursing Online for Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a leading publisher of nursing and healthcare information. "The program of study they offer and the depth of nursing information offered by NursingCenter is a great fit. We offer access to the nation's top nursing journals, a vast array of continuing education opportunities, interactive nursing forums, a robust career center, and an e-commerce marketplace where students and practicing nurses can purchase nursing-related products."

For more information about BSN-LINC and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay's Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing, please visit NursingCenter at http://www.nursingcenter.com, or call BSN-LINC's toll-free hotline at (877) 656-1483.

GREEN BAY -- Three-time Olympian Juan Moreno will speak at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26 in the Phoenix Room of University Union at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Dr. The event is free and open to the public.

Moreno won silver medals in Tae Kwon Do at Olympic Games in 1988 in Seoul, Korea, and in 1992 in Barcelona, Spain. Shortly after winning his second medal, Moreno retired from competition, because, he said, he was beginning to "view Tae Kwon Do as a job and not a sport."

Prior to the 2000 games in Sydney, Moreno decided to return. A month before the Olympic team trials, he won the World Cup competition. Moreno won a gold medal in Olympic trials, qualifying for a spot on the team, though he did not win a medal at Sydney.

Moreno is an inspirational speaker on the rewards of risk taking and the desire to win. The UW-Green Bay program is sponsored by the Office of Student Life.

GREEN BAY -- The State Building Commission in Madison on Wednesday gave its approval to the design for remodeling the Laboratory Sciences building at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and to construction of additional student housing on the campus.

The Commission's actions were the final approval steps needed for the University to proceed with both projects. The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents approved both projects earlier this month.

Assistant Chancellor for Planning and Budget Dean Rodeheaver said the Commission approved the design report for remodeling almost the entire Laboratory Sciences Building and for a 15,600 assignable-square-foot addition. The step allows the University to proceed with construction drawings for the $17.9-million project. The selection of Plunkett Raysich Architects, Milwaukee, was announced last February. Bidding and the start of construction are expected in summer 2002.

The Building Commission's approval for student housing involves a land-use agreement allowing University Village Housing Inc. to construct new student housing on state-owned land. The action paves the way for three new 120-bed units. The first is scheduled to be completed in fall 2002 and the others in fall 2003 and fall 2004. Ground-breaking could be as early as next month.

University Village Housing Inc. is a non-profit organization that will acquire the bonding and oversee the construction, as it has for all student housing on the UW-Green Bay campus since 1984.

GREEN BAY - The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Extended Degree program hosts an open house and information session on campus Saturday morning, Oct. 13.

The free session takes place from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in UW-Green Bay's new academic building, Mary Ann Cofrin Hall, Room C303. Visitors are invited to learn more about the program, to meet with advisers and talk with current students about how they balance work, family and education.

Extended Degree is a flexible program designed for returning adult students who cannot attend traditional daytime classes. Courses start each month from September through June. Students may apply to the program and start classes in any month. The program leads to a fully accredited Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from UW-Green Bay, with students able to pursue specialization in a broad array of subjects. Courses are taught by regular UW-Green Bay faculty. Students may pursue coursework independently and on their own schedules, via online learning, by way of audio or video presentations, or through monthly Saturday classes.

For more information, call 1-800-621-2313, or (920) 465-2423 locally.

GREEN BAY -- Pianist Namji Clara Kim, faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, will perform in recital at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22 in Fort Howard Hall of the Weidner Center on the campus at 2420 Nicolet Dr. Admission is free.

The program will include Partita no. 2 in C Minor by J.S. Bach; First Ballade in G Minor by Frederic Chopin; Fantasy, op. 17 in C by Robert Schumann; and Sonata no. 4, op. 30 in F-sharp by Alexander Scriabin.

Kim began piano studies at the age of six and gave her first recital at eight at the Theatre Andre Malraux in France. She graduated from the National Superior Conservatory of Paris with First Prizes in piano, chamber music and harmony. Her teachers there included Germaine Mounier, Lucette Descave, Roger Boutry and Olivier Messiaen. Kim earned Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Julliard School and a Doctor of Musical Arts from Manhattan School of Music.

As a soloist she has performed in recitals and with orchestras in the U.S., France, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Ukraine and Korea. She was a finalist in the Chopin International Piano Competition in Majorca, Spain, and in the Kahn International Piano Competition in Paris. In summer 2001, Kim played in masterclasses given by Gyorgy Sandor and Vladimir Shakin at the International Keyboard Institute and Festival in New York.

Kim joined the UW-Green Bay faculty in September 2000. This is her first recital in northeastern Wisconsin. Before coming to Green Bay, she was a piano instructor and accompanist at Graceland College, Lamoni, Iowa.

GREEN BAY - The Green Bay International Film Series begins its second year on October 3 with the first in a series of films from India, Lebanon, Germany, Spain and the United States. Films will be shown on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the Neville Public Museum, unless otherwise designated. Admission is free.

The makers of two of the films will be on hand to discuss them.

On October 17, co-writer Fatima El-Tayeb will present the 1998 German film, "Everything Will Be Fine," directed by Angelina Maccarone. The award-winning comedy explores the lives of two Afro-German women. El-Tayeb teaches at the University of Hamburg, Germany. The program will be at 7 p.m. on the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay campus at a location to be announced.

Director Gregg Bordowitz will introduce his 1994 documentary short film, "Fast Trip, Long Drop" and talk about his activism in the struggle against AIDS on November 7 at the Neville Public Museum. The program is co-sponsored by the Lawton Gallery at UW-Green Bay in conjunction with an exhibition in the Gallery from October 17 through November 8 of five sections of the internationally acclaimed AIDS quilt.

The Green Bay International Film Series was launched in the fall of 2000. It is sponsored by the not-for-profit Green Bay Film Society, organized by Prof. David Coury, in conjunction with the Neville Public Museum of Brown County and UW-Green Bay. The Goethe Institute-Chicago is an additional sponsor for the 2001-2002 series.

The spring series of films will be announced early in 2002. For information about the Green Bay Film Society the number is (920) 465-2097 or gbfilm@uwgb.edu.

The schedule for fall 2001:

October 3: "Am I Beautiful?" Germany, 1998, Doris Dörrie, director. Presented by Prof. David Coury.

October 17: "Everything Will Be Fine," Germany, 1998, Angelina Maccarone, director. Introduced by co-writer Fatima El-Tayeb and presented by Prof. Jennifer Ham. (at UW-Green Bay)

October 31: "Earth," India, 1998, Deepa Mehta, director. Presented by Prof. Regan Gurung.

November 7: "Fast Trip, Long Drop," U.S., 1994, Gregg Bordowitz, director. Introduced by Bordowitz and presented by Curator of Art Stephen Perkins.

November 21: "Paths in the Night," Germany, 1999, Andreas Kleinert, director. Presented by Prof. Jennifer Ham.

December 5: "Secrets of the Heart," Spain, 1997, Montxo Armend·riz, director. Presented by Prof. Cristina Ortiz.

December 19: "West Beirut," Lebanon/France, 1998, Ziad Doueiri, director. Presented by Prof. David Coury.

GREEN BAY -- Pam Stoll has been elected to a second consecutive term as president of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Alumni Association. A 1974 graduate, she is the owner of and master photographer at Imagemaker Photography.

Other officers are Philip May, '99, vice president of alumni operations; Chad Vandenbusch, '94, vice president of alumni services; Lisa Cribben, '92, treasurer; and David Lamers, '01, secretary. Cribben is beginning her second term of office.

May is a senior financial analyst with Schneider Logistics; Vandenbusch is an investment executive with Stifel Nicolas & Co., Inc.; Cribben is business valuation/mergers and acquisitions manager with Wipfli Ullrich Bertelson LLP; and Lamers is a teacher in the Appleton area.

GREEN BAY -- Visitors to the new Mary Ann Cofrin Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay will actually tread the building's artwork as they walk the first floor corridor of the west wing.

"Voucher" is the title of the 12-foot by 19-foot inlaid stone floor of water-jet cut black, red and green granite, white marble, and tan limestone. It was created by St. Paul sculptors Andrea Myklebust and Stanton Sears, who work collaboratively. Myklebust explains that the subject matter - bird eggs and nests, animal bones and study skins, and plants - was inspired by the University's natural history collections, both of which are located in the building. The title comes from the term used to describe documentary records housed in such collections.

The installation also is visible from the second floor from a balcony overlook.

"We represented the subjects not as you would see them in nature, but as you would see them in a collection," says Myklebust. Thus, the American kestrels have white marble "tags" attached, and the plants look flat and compressed as if attached to voucher sheets. Myklebust says the tan limestone used for the background was chosen for its resemblance to the paper on which plant samples are mounted.

The design began as hand drawings; those were translated into computer files. A computer then controlled the machine that cut the stone. "One of the things that interests us about this kind of project is the combination of 21st century technology with old-world hand crafts," says Myklebust.

The artists have completed commissions for a number of large public projects, including a 2,100 square-foot terrazzo floor at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. They're presently working on a wall-mounted work for Mayo Clinic and a fountain for the Hennepin County Government Center. Sears is a faculty member at Macalester College and Myklebust is a graduate of the college.

"Voucher" was made possible by Wisconsin's Percent for Art program, which provides that a percentage of total construction costs of eligible new or renovated state buildings be allocated to commission or purchase art works. The program was established in 1980 to place art works in public settings in order to beautify public spaces and highlight artistic expertise of the region.

GREEN BAY - A six-member search and screen committee has been appointed to begin the process of selecting a new director of intercollegiate athletics for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. The first official posting of the vacancy was made Monday (Sept. 10).

Chairperson of the search committee is Prof. Donna Ritch of the UW-Green Bay faculty. She is joined on the committee by Prof. Scott Furlong; staff member Kelly Franz; and community members Paul Anderson and Carol Bush. The sixth member, a UW-Green Bay student, will be announced later this week.

The committee is charged with recommending a small number of candidates to be invited to campus for a series of interview sessions in early October. It is expected that three separate interview groups of up to a dozen members each will meet with each of the finalists. The panels will consist of representatives of the community, the UW-Green Bay campus, and the Phoenix Athletics department including student athletes. Ritch will announce the makeup of the panels by next week.

Members of the interview groups will then share their impressions of the finalists with Ritch and her committee, who will advise the UW-Green Bay chancellor on the selection of the new athletics director. Chancellor-Designate Bruce Shepard will also interview the finalists.

Contact: Kevin Boatright, (608) 263-2227

MADISON -- All University of Wisconsin System institutions remain open today and classes are being held as scheduled. According to UW System President Katharine Lyall, there is no reason to believe that faculty, staff and students at the 26 campuses in the state are in any danger whatsoever, following today's apparent terrorist attacks in New York and Virginia.

"We have been briefed by security staff on what happened this morning," said Lyall, who was with her senior staff this morning in Madison at a previously scheduled meeting. "While the State Capitol is closed to the public and the Wisconsin National Guard is on high-alert status, these are precautionary measures only. I think it's prudent that we exercise great care, but there are no indications of a threat to any university campus."

Added Lyall, "I urge everyone in the UW System to remain calm in the aftermath of today's events. This is a terrible and tragic day for our country. My heart goes out to the victims of these attacks and their families. Our chancellors and their staffs are offering assistance to any UW System students, faculty and staff who are affected by what has happened."

GREEN BAY -- Author Penny Colman will speak on "You Can't Do That!: The Process of Writing History for All Ages," at 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 14 in the Christie Theater, located in University Union at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. The event is free and open to the public.

Colman is the author of more than a dozen books on women's history, labor history, social history and other topics, written for audiences ranging from 7 to 10-year-olds to adults. Her most recent book is Girls: A History of Growing Up Female in America. She is working on a new book, Where the Action Was: Women War Correspondents in World War II. Colman's earlier book on women in the second World War era was Rosie the Riveter: Women Working on the Home Front in World War II. Her book Corpses, Coffins, and Crypts: A History of Burial, was named a Best Book of the Year by Publisher's Weekly.

Colman has been widely interviewed in print media, television and radio. A graduate of the University of Michigan and Johns Hopkins University, she has been a teacher, director of an antipoverty agency and a school board member. Colman presently teaches at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York.

Colman's visit to UW-Green Bay is the first in the annual series of lectures sponsored by the Center for History and Social Change.

GREEN BAY -- "The White Flag of Surrender," is the title of a multimedia installation that opens the UW-Green Bay art gallery season with a reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13 in the Lawton Gallery. Artists David Dunlap and Travis Freeman, Iowa City, Iowa, will give a gallery talk at 5 p.m.

The installation, created on the site, will represent a "conversation" between the two artists using drawings, paintings, photographs, books, found objects, and other items. They'll construct a "teahouse" in which the conversation can be shared with others.

Dunlap is a professor of art in the department of Art and Art History at the University of Iowa. He specializes in collaborative works. Freeman is an elementary school art teacher.

The exhibit will continue through October 20. Lawton Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Lawton Gallery is located in Theater Hall, room 230.

GREEN BAY -- Several new courses are among those presented for educators this fall by the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Office of Outreach and Extension.

New graduate-credit courses include a field trip on the glacial geology of Wisconsin and a course on grant writing. Assessing student performance is a new topic on the docket of courses offered with a noncredit option.

The courses for educators are taught by UW-Green Bay faculty members, staff members from CESA district 7 and school district leaders.

Applying Reading Research in the Classroom (K-5), Mondays, September 24; October 8 and 22; November 5 and 19, and December 3. O.H. Schultz Elementary School, Mishicot.

Glacial Geology of Wisconsin Field Trip (new), Thursday and Friday, October 25 and 26, with follow-up on-line chat.

Classroom Management of ADD/ADHD and Related Disorders, Mondays, October 15, 22 and 29 and November 5, UW-Green Bay.

Transitioning from School to Career, October 2, one of the following dates-October 8, 9, 10-and one other date in October to be determined; November 7, 13, 28; December 11; January 8 and 22; February 12; March 12 and 27; April 9 and 23, various locations.

Assessment of Writing Using the Six Traits (K-5), Saturdays, October 13 and 20, Luxemburg-Casco Intermediate School.

Tribes: A New Way of Learning and Being Together, Thursdays, October 4, 11, 18; November 1; December 6 and 13, Meadowbrook Elementary School, Howard-Suamico.

Dimensions of Learning, Saturdays, October 6 and 20, CESA 7 office, Green Bay.

Dimensions of Learning, Thursday and Friday, October 25 and 26, Green Bay Public School Central Office, 200 S. Broadway.

Taming the Wild, Wild Web: Webquests, Fridays and Saturdays, October 12, 13 and 19, 20, Chilton Elementary School.

Technology Integration in a Learning Environment (GWETC) (new), Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, October 29-31, KI Convention Center and Regency Suites, Green Bay.

Internet I for Teachers, Friday and Saturday, October 12 and 13, Mishicot Middle School.

Internet II for Teachers, Friday and Saturday, November 2 and 3, Mishicot Middle School.

Cash for Classrooms: Understanding, Finding and Submitting a Grant Proposal (new), Fridays and Saturdays, November 2 and 3 and December 7 and 8, Bay Port High School, Howard-Suamico.

Electronic Portfolios: Powerful Professional Improvement Tool, Fridays and Saturdays, November 9, 10 and December 14, 15, Bay Port High School, Howard-Suamico.

Unit Design (All Subjects, K-16), Fridays and Saturdays, September 28, 29, October 19, 20, November 30, December 1, Green Bay Area School District.

Powerful Performance Assessment (All Subjects, K-16) (new), Mondays and Thursdays, September 24, 27; October 4, 8, 22; November 1, 12, 26; December 6, 10, 20, Sheboygan Area School District.

Facilitating and Assessing Writing Using the 6 + 1 Traits (K-16) (new), Fridays and Saturdays, September 28, 29; October 12, 13; November 2, 3, Sawyer School, Sturgeon Bay.

E-Unit Design (All Subjects, K-16) (On-line course), Thursday, September 27-Thursday, December 20, first session in-person at Denmark Middle School.

Using Data to Improve Student Achievement (Data Retreat), Friday and Saturday, September 14, 15 and at least 60 additional hours in fall 2001 and spring 2002, Green Bay.

Unit Design (All Subjects, K-16), Tuesdays, October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; November 6, 13, 20, 27; December 4, Sturgeon Bay High School.

Unit Design (All Subjects, K-16), Mondays and Thursdays, October 1, 8, 18, 25; November 1, 15, 29; December 3, 6, CESA 7 office, Green Bay.

Assessment of Writing Using the Six Traits (K - 16), Thursdays, October 4, 11, 18; November 1, 8, Forest Glen Elementary School, Howard-Suamico.

Assessing Student Learning (All Subjects, K - 16) (new), Saturdays, October 6, 13; November 3, 10, 17, Ashwaubenon School District.

Improving Learning in Mathematics: Middle Grades, Wednesdays, October 3, 10, 17; November 7, 14, Chilton Middle School.

Planning for Understanding, Tuesdays, October 9, 16, 23, 30; November 6, 13, 20, 27, Manitowoc School District.

Technology Use to Enhance Student Learning (On-line course), begins Monday, October 15. One-credit class ends January 15, 2002. Two-credit class ends March 15, 2002. Three-credit class ends May 15, 2002.

Enrollment in most classes is limited, so registration two weeks before the start of classes is recommended. The number to call for course availability, registration materials and other information is (920) 465-2480 or 1-800-892-2118.

Courses are presented in collaboration with the professional programs in Education at UW-Green Bay, the Institute for Learning Partnership, CESA 7 School Improvement Services and UW-Extension.

GREEN BAY - The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay reaches Opening Day 2001 with a long list of superlatives at the ready.

Fall semester classes begin today (Tuesday, Sept. 4) at the University. Officials say the customary boost in back-to-school energy levels is multiplied this year by the opening of a major new academic building, record enrollment, and a new-freshman class that rates among the institution's best ever in terms of academic preparedness.

• Mary Ann Cofrin Hall opens today as the University's first new academic building since 1974. The $20 million, state-of-the-art facility serves as the primary classroom building; nearly 40 percent of all classes will meet there. (Grand opening events, public tours and media walk-throughs will be scheduled in conjunction with formal dedication ceremonies on Friday, Sept. 28.)

• Preliminary figures have UW-Green Bay surpassing 5,500 in headcount enrollment, and setting a record with in excess of 4,500 full-time equivalent students. Previous highs are a headcount of 5,635 in fall 1994 and an FTE count of 4,478 in fall 1998. The FTE measure is based on the number of credits enrolled and is used by the UW System as its primary measure of institutional capacity. Steve Neiheisel, assistant dean for enrollment services, says an FTE record is a certainty. He says good news — better-than-projected retention of continuing students — is behind the increase, adding "Most of these are students who were freshmen or sophomores last year... Students who've come in the last two years are staying at higher rates." At 4,500 FTEs, UW-Green Bay will be several percentage points beyond its state-approved target of 4,357 and slightly above last year's FTE total of 4,442. Final enrollment tallies won't be available until mid-September.

• The 900-member freshman class ranks at or near the top in terms of gradepoint average and other measures of quality. The average high school gpa of 3.33 on a 4.0 scale is a best-ever for UW-Green Bay. The class will include at least 23 valedictorians and 12 salutatorians. Almost one in five of the new students graduated in the top ten percent of their high school classes. "On many measures, this group of new freshmen may be stronger than any class in the University's history," says Deborah Furlong, director of institutional research. Furlong says the trends represent "continuations of steady improvements that we have seen over the last five years or so."

Surveys show that UW-Green Bay is the school of choice for the 2001 freshmen. Ninety-six percent said the institution was their first or second choice of schools.