No need for a recount here. By landslide margin with only a few questions expressed about implementation details, the UW-Green Bay Faculty Senate acted Wednesday afternoon to endorse the Learning Experience Proposal. The vote, which came after about 35 minutes of discussion, was 26-0 with three abstentions. The proposal endorsed by the Faculty Senate is based on the set of formal planning guidelines proposed this summer by the Learning Experience Planning Committee. The proposal, developed by the faculty's University Committee, lists three core elements: high-impact student contact, competency-based general education, and citizenship and professional practice. In addition, it emphasizes three essential supporting structures in enhanced advising, assessment, and faculty/staff development and support. The Faculty Senate is the third of the three governance groups to weigh in on the Learning Experience Initiative; both the Academic Staff Committee and the Student Senate recently forwarded word of their general support of the Planning Committee's work, contingent upon continued involvement and attention to various and specific implementation concerns. The UW System budget request for 2001-03 includes $3.7 million in startup funding for the UW-Green Bay Learning Experience Initiative.

A former UW student who parlayed an interest in politics into a career and a position as top assistant to Gov. Tommy Thompson is commencement speaker at mid-year ceremonies this Saturday (Dec. 16) at the Weidner Center. Bob Wood, chief of staff for the governor, began his rapid rise in the early 1990s with volunteer work on a congressional campaign. He joined the governor's office five years ago and was promoted to his present position in 1999. Wood will speak as part of a program that also includes remarks by Outstanding Student Award winner Andrea Stiff, an elementary education major from Fort Atkinson. Chancellor Mark Perkins will preside over the ceremony in which up to 300 students are eligible to receive their degrees. Commencement begins at noon.

The UW-Green Bay Alumni Association, which sponsors the Outstanding Student Award, also sponsors a post-commencement reception in the foyer of the Weidner Center. All faculty, staff, commencement participants and guests are invited to attend the free event immediately following Saturday's ceremony.

The Friends of the Cofrin Library, at the group's annual meeting on Dec. 6, presented the Library with two bookcases that will be used to display new books and government documents on third floor opposite the circulation desk. The organization's friend- and fund-raising efforts on behalf of the Cofrin Library include money raised via membership dues and activities such as the popular, annual Books and Baskets raffle. Past gifts to the Library have included new stereo equipment for music-listening stations, a new gazetteer for the map collections, a photo preservation project for the Area Research Center, and a special collection of classical music CDs.

Up With Good Bodies (UWGB) is a Counseling and Health Center-sponsored program whose purpose is to promote healthy lifestyle changes by using a team/peer support system. The program is structured to allow teams and individuals to compete by earning points through exercise, weight loss/maintenance/or intentional weight gain. The participants increase knowledge about various health concerns through written materials available at the weekly weigh-ins. Points are awarded on the basis of progress made on weight goals, regular exercise and other incentives such as submission of recipes, health tips and motivating quotes. The program is open to the entire UW-Green Bay community of faculty, staff and students. The winners for the Fall 2000 Up With Good Bodies Program:

GROUP:		Temptation Sensations
			Misty Davids - Captain
			Diana Borerro-Lowe
			Sarah Butler
			Jody Lovaj
			Jennifer Popiel
			Sao Vue


INDIVIDUAL:	Jan Hess

If you are interested in becoming involved in the next Up With Good Bodies Program, choose one of the following organizational meetings: Monday, February 5 at 3:30; Tuesday, February 6 at 12:30 p.m.; Wednesday, February 7 at 1 p.m. or Thursday, February 8 at 5 p.m.. All organizational meetings will be held in the Counseling and Health Center Conference Room, SS 1400.

Wisconsin Public Television will air a one-hour special at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 18, as part of the Parent Connection series. The topic: "Kids and Materialism." The series is produced by WPT and the NEWIST/CESA 7 offices on campus.

Kari Beth Krieger, assistant professor of Human Biology, received a grant from the University of Wisconsin Women and Science Program to support "Inclusion of Student-Centered Pedagogies in Science, Math, and Engineering Courses."

LOG ONline is prepared for University of Wisconsin-Green Bay faculty and staff by the Office of Marketing and University Communication. Employees may submit a Brief, a Publication, a news item, an announcement, or offer feedback; call ext. 2626 or e-mail us at Log@uwgb.edu.