Vol. 38, No. 128, July 9, 2007     /     Log Archive

The LOG newsletter remembers today the great opera singer, cultural ambassador and 'Tonight' show favorite Beverly Sills, who died last week at age 78. She is forever a part of UW-Green Bay history: On Jan. 15, 1993, she was the first person to formally appear in the spotlight on the stage of the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts, hosting the opening-night gala. In news today:

Student Services remodeling has offices, staff on the move
In anticipation of a major remodeling of the Student Services Building, several service offices are being relocated to Rose and Wood halls for approximately six months The Admissions office is now temporarily located in Wood Hall 117. The offices of Academic Advising, Career Services, Registrar and Financial Aid will be moved to the third floor of Rose Hall during the week of July 16. Services will be disrupted most of that week as phone lines, computers and staff offices are moved. "Everything should be operational again by July 23. Patience is appreciated, especially during the week of the move!"

Some offices will stay put in SS during the remodeling
The offices of the Bursar, Disability Services, Health and Counseling, Precollege Programs, and Dean of Students will remain in the Student Services Building throughout the remodeling. Assuming the work is completed on schedule, their colleagues will move back to Student Services in time to open spring semester 2008 in a space updated to be more user-friendly and student/visitor-oriented.

Athletics now at Kress Events Center
Having to struggle for 18 months in makeshift quarters in old Rose Hall, Intercollegiate Athletics operations are now ensconced over in the beautiful new Kress Events Center. Click http://uwgbathletics.cstv.com/genrel/070507aaa.html.

UW-Green Bay lands OPID grant to sharpen Freshman Seminar program
UW-Green Bay has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the UW System Office of Professional and Instructional Development to study student learning and involvement resulting from extending the Freshman Seminar program. First implemented in fall 2006, the program had six faculty members teach small sections of approximately 25 students each (in what are normally much larger general education courses), and integrate more writing assignments, an interdisciplinary group project, and co-curricular activities. Prof. Regan Gurung, co-chair of the Freshman Seminar Program Task Force, said the 2006 results were positive — "The seminars engage students by galvanizing the university-faculty-student connection" — and the program is expanding to total 13 seminar sections in fall 2007. For more, click http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/archive/2007july.htm#freshman.

Gurung, Haynie share in $20,000 OPID grant on pedagogies, disciplines
The UW System Office of Professional and Instructional Development has awarded a $20,000 grant to UW-Green Bay Profs. Regan Gurung and Aeron Haynie, and Nancy Chick of UW-Colleges, for their project, Signature Pedagogies and Practices in the Disciplines. This project brings together past and current Wisconsin Teaching Fellows and Scholars and further fosters SoTL (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning) work across the UW System while creating a resource for faculty everywhere. The proposed work and the resulting book will go beyond current literature documenting the traditional and traditionally problematic pedagogies, and joins the movement toward interrogating them and re-envisioning them through the lens of how students actually learn and seeking evidence for that learning.

Annual Report 2006 documents an eventful year
Looking back, calendar year 2006 was exceptionally eventful for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. The institution's annual report to stakeholders documents major milestones from 2006, late 2005 and early 2007 in a resource now online at http://www.uwgb.edu/chancellor/system/AR2005.2006/index.htm.

'Here and Now' interviews Ragan on early literacy project
A UW-Green Bay-led project to improve literacy skills of at-risk children entering kindergarten at Green Bay's Fort Howard School continues to draw media attention. UW-Green Bay Education Prof. Patricia Ragan discussed the project on Wisconsin Public Television's "Here and Now" public-affairs program Friday (July 6). The research project involved a partnership of UW-Green Bay faculty and students, Green Bay Area Public Schools and the Institute for Learning Partnership. To view the interview of Ragan by "Here and Now" host Frederica Freyberg, click http://www.wpt.org/hereandnow/index.cfm?did=28446.

Photos provide behind-the-scenes view
Prof. Ragan's portion of the "Here and Now" interview was taped on the UW-Green Bay campus. Photographs offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the taping are online at http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/page/photo.htm.

Tuition increase is on Board of Regents agenda
They won't actually vote to set 2007-08 tuition rates until their August meeting, but UW System Regents will discuss their rationale and the financial challenges facing the System at this week's monthly meeting in Madison. The Regents have already gone on record favoring a relatively moderate increase, in the 3 to 4 percent range, which would amount to about $150 for a full-time resident student at UW-Green Bay. See http://www.wisconsin.edu/news/2007/r070706.htm.

Delay tied to state budget uncertainty
UW System officials say the Board of Regents will wait until more state budget information is available to make a decision regarding the university's tuition rates for the next academic year. For newspaper perspective, see http://www.madison.com/tct/news/200503.

Craver's column touts value of BAS
Program manager Eric Craver of Outreach and Adult Access says the new Bachelor of Applied Studies degree — a path for technical-college graduates to pursue their UW System bachelor's degrees — is an exciting development. He wrote about it in a guest article for a recent edition of The Business News. Click http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/inthenewsarchive/2007/basdegree5-07.htm.

Last call for Undergraduate Catalogs
Act now! If your office needs printed copies of the 2007-08 Undergraduate Catalog, and haven't yet picked them up, your time is almost up. Reminder, details at http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/logarchive/logarchive38/2007june18.htm#undergrad.

Campus power outage Thursday night
For the benefit of off-campus readers who might be planning a visit between 4:45 and 8:30 p.m. this Thursday (July 12) to Studio Arts, Theatre Hall, Student Services or the University Union: don't do it. A power outage is scheduled during that time.

Program on immigration reform
A LOG reader sends notice of an informational session on immigration reform set for 6 p.m. this Wednesday (July 11) at West Side Moravian Church, 1707 S. Oneida St. Presenters include representatives of Voces de la Frontera (Voices from the Border), a group touring Wisconsin by bus to build support for comprehensive immigration reform. The session will include personal testimony on what federal policy means for both legal and illegal immigration, a forum for questions and answers, and more.

Gerds column recalls Sills and Weidner Center grand opening
The death of opera great Beverly Sills prompted a column by the Press-Gazette's Warren Gerds. He describes a great moment in local cultural history, when Sills hosted the grand opening gala of the Edward W. Weidner Center for the Performing Arts in January 1993. Click http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070701/GPG07/707010621/1907.

UW System responds to call to 'break up the System'
If you were on vacation last week, you might have missed the latest from the conservative think tank, the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute. They critique management of the UW System, criticize as unwieldy its accountability structure, and suggest a separate governing board for the flagship Madison campus. The System response is at http://www.wisconsin.edu/news/2007/r070705.htm.

Assembly votes Tuesday on new plans to cut UW System spending
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting today that Assembly Republicans are proposing a no-tax-increase budget that would cut UW System funding by nearly $50 million annually. The GOP controls the Assembly, which is scheduled to act on the state budget Tuesday (July 10). Regardless how the Assembly version differs from that favored by the Democratic Senate and Gov. Doyle, an Assembly/Senate conference committee will have the messy job of finding common ground. See early J-S coverage at http://www.jsonline.com/watch/?watch=1&date=7/9/2007&id=26109.

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