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Vol.
38, No. 78, March 20, 2007 / Log
Archive
The Vernal
Equinox arrives at 7:07 p.m. today (Tuesday, March 20). The relative
position of the sun reaches the point at which day and night are
equal around the world, and followers of the Zoroastrian faith
and the Persian Calendar herald the start of another year. (That's
why, with new year's parties and a late NCAA game, don't be surprised
if many of us are running a little late tomorrow.) In campus news
today:
• Report: First-year seminars are big winners for students
• 'Sustainable GB' is up and running
• Kersten, students engineer move to put Railroad Museum on track
• Clampitt in the Wall Street Journal
• Who changed their cheese? Phil knew
• ESPN touts Phoenix as potential David
• Nation's longest winning streak
• Hometown team vs. All-America Huskies
• 'Unbiased' observer says our spirit squad, band are winners, too
• Check out Phoenix 'Big Dance' history on 7th floor
• Hereby be it resolved: Women are really, really good
• Campus hosts Thursday's Hinz-Lasee debate
• Additional hours for popular 'Ruins' art show
• Reminder: Lecture by NASA's Collins
• Verdict helps with closure for Halbach's Green Bay friends
• UW-Green Bay to honor Student Employees
'Staggering': First-year seminar had positive impact on students
A pilot program for first-year UW-Green Bay students aimed at increasing
student involvement and improving retention has shown significant
promise, a new report says. In the 2006 fall semester, six faculty
members — Denise Bartell, Scott Furlong, Regan A.R. Gurung, Stefan
Hall, Andrew Kersten, and Georjeanna Wilson-Doenges — each taught
a small section, approximately 25 students, of what normally is
a 90- to 120-student general education course. The seminar placed
increased emphasis on writing and interaction with faculty, and
included an interdisciplinary group project that emphasized problem-solving
and communication skills. "The results are staggering," comments
Gurung.
• Seminar students were more likely than the spring 2006 and
non-seminar students to say they would select UW-Green Bay as
their school of choice if they could start over;
• Seminar students evaluated the quality of academic advising
to be higher;
• Seminar students rated their relationships with faculty members
much better;
• Participants rated their experience significantly higher in
terms of class participation, email exchanges, collaboration with
other students, career planning, interaction on grades and assignments,
application of theories and concepts, and evaluation of data.
For more, including plans to expand the pilot in fall 2007,
click http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/archive/2007mar.htm#seminar.
*******
The first publication on the Freshman Seminar pilot hit the
international airwaves last week. Bartell, Gurung, Furlong, Kersten
and Wilson-Doenges have published "An Interdisciplinary Lesson
Plan to Foster Student Engagement" in the March issue of the UW
System's Teaching Forum publication. See http://www.uwlax.edu/teachingforum.
Sustainability here has rich history, and new Web site
Sustainability is part of our heritage at UW-Green Bay. Not surprising,
then, that it was a recurring theme during and after the recent
master planning work on campus. The new Sustainability Committee
feels it important to emphasize what the campus is already doing,
to create a Web site site that invites learning and participation
(on campus, at work, and at home), and to also provide a forum for
ideas about the future. That site — the SustainableGB site — is
up and lively today at http://www.uwgb.edu/sustainablegb.
On track: Kersten, students help
engineer Railroad Museum repositioning
UW-Green Bay history students under the direction of Prof. Andrew
Kersten are advising the National Railroad Museum on a major repositioning
as the Ashwaubenon facility prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Kersten and Michael E. Telzrow, the museum's new executive director,
have been professional colleagues for years. With an eye on edging
the museum beyond its train yard full of artifacts, Telzrow enlisted
the University's help in better defining the educational mission
in a wider historical context. Kersten's History Seminar course
— the capstone, research-based class for history majors — supplied
the architects of a strategic education plan. Don McCartney, Business
Administration, and Deb Anderson, Area Research Center, have also
assisted. Telzrow is "very impressed" with the work, and Kersten
hopes it might "become a model for public history." A great example
of connecting learning to life, the story is told more fully in
an article at the museum's site, http://www.nationalrrmuseum.org/.
Clampitt's business/communication research gets Wall Street Journal attention
"How Understanding the 'Why" of Decisions Matters: Employees more
likely to embrace changes when fully informed." That was the headline
over a lengthy Wall Street Journal article found on page
B-3 of the Monday (March 19) edition of America's most important
financial daily. The piece summarized the "decision downloading"
research of consultant Phillip G. Clampitt, Philip J. and Elizabeth
B. Hendrickson Professor at UW-Green Bay and faculty member in Information
and Computing Science.
Who changed my cheese? Clampitt helped Foremost talk to workers
Monday's Wall Street Journal article recounts Prof. Clampitt's
work with Foremost Farms USA, a Baraboo, Wis., dairy cooperative.
A tactical decision by management to shift production strategy hadn't
been communicated adequately to workers, who soon resumed making
cheese the old way: as fast as possible. Noted the article:
The more-information-is-better
rule sounds like common sense, but it is easy to neglect in
practice, Mr. Clampitt says. Executives may feel too busy to
explain their thinking. They may be so wrapped up in the decision-making
that they think their conclusions are obvious. "You're trying
to sell," explains Robert DeKoch, president of construction
company Boldt Co., who has collaborated with Mr. Clampitt on
research. "But if you sell too hard, you're going to be uncredible."
Sharing information helps employees see how executives made
their decisions, he says.
When the co-op hired Clampitt to help with internal communication,
the management team developed a simple presentation — "We're Target,"
they told workers. "We're too big to be Neiman Marcus; we're too
small to be Wal-Mart." — and took it to each of Foremost's 10
cheese plants. It's a whopper of a URL, and good reading, at http://online.wsj.com/wsjgate?subURI=%2Farticle%2FSB117426249593240964-email.html&nonsubURI=%2Farticle_email%2FSB117426249593240964-lMyQjAxMDE3NzE0OTIxNjkyWj.html.
ESPN touts Phoenix as epic David-vs.-Goliath challenger
Graham Hays, ESPN.com's excellent columnist, breaks down tonight's intriguing Phoenix/Huskies NCAA game for his national audience. He opens by borrowing an old line: UConn "boasts McDonald's All-Americans at almost every position, while Wisconsin-Green Bay... just eats at McDonald's." He details why Goliath is immensely stronger, across the board... "but every David gets a chance to throw his stones, and you never know what might happen after that." Click http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/ncaatourney07/columns/story?columnist=hays_graham&id=2804914.
Nation's longest current winning streak resides at UW-Green Bay
Congratulations! Today, the UW-Green Bay women's basketball team stands alone with the nation's longest current winning streak, 26 games. Last night, Middle Tennessee State had its streak snapped at 27 in a second-round NCAA loss to upstart Marist.
David vs. Goliath? It's also 'New North' vs. a national recruiting base
Likely to be highlighted again during tonight's ESPN telecast (8:30 p.m. CDT) is that UW-Green Bay is basically a hometown team. All five starters grew up within a 50-mile radius of campus. Nicole Soulis, Bay Port H.S.; Natalie Berglin, Notre Dame Academy; Rachel Porath, Luxemburg-Casco H.S.; Amanda Popp, Reedsville H.S.; and Kayla Groh, Elkhart Lake H.S., are all products of Northeastern Wisconsin's "New North" region. Contrast that with Connecticut's all-America lineup, which features two players from the state of Ohio, only one from Connecticut, and one each from Georgia, West Virginia, California, New York, South Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana and the District of Columbia.
UW-Green Bay students shine in 'battle of the bands,' too
A self-described "neutral and anonymous observer" who attended Sunday's Phoenix/Lobos game in Hartford reports that UW-Green Bay students won a highly visible off-court competition, as well. "It was obvious to everybody at the arena," our correspondent proclaims, that the UW-Green Bay pep band and spirit squad clearly outshined their counterparts from much-larger New Mexico (enrollment 26,399). What's more, having scouted UConn's band and rally squad, he expects a closer match this time but he again likes the Green Bay ensembles over those from UConn (enrollment 24,000). He says numerous Phoenix fans who regularly follow the team on the road have complimented this year's squads as being among the program's best ever. "Just another way in which our students 'do us proud' on a national stage, highlighting the great job our faculty, staff and students do." Thanks for the update, Bruce, we'll look for a full report upon your return.
For good luck, check out the Phoenix 'Big Dance' history on 7th floor
Kudos to the folks at the Area Research Center on the 7th floor of the David A. Cofrin Library. Their history display case in the elevator lobby is a timely tribute to UW-Green Bay "March Madness." Featured are vintage clips and material from past trips by the Phoenix women to college basketball's "Big Dance" — the NCAA Division I tournament.
Hereby be it resolved: UW-Green Bay women are really, really good
State Sen. Dave Hansen, a proud UW-Green Bay alumnus, said Friday he will introduce a joint Legislative resolution saluting the women's basketball team for its "remarkable season." Click http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070317/GPG0101/703170583/1207.
UW-Green Bay hosts Thursday's Hinz-Lasee debate
The League of Women Voters has organized a forum from 7 to 8 p.m. this Thursday (March 22) in Room 208, Mary Ann Cofrin Hall, featuring the two candidates in April's Brown County Executive race. Tom Hinz and Alan Lasee are running to succeed retiring incumbent Carol Kelso. The University is a partner is sponsoring the forum. "Bring your questions!"
Additional hours for publicized, popular 'Ruins' at Lawton
Lawton Gallery Curator Stephen Perkins notes that the "Ruins" exhibit of contemporary photography and video from China will close at the end of the day Friday (March 23). He shares word that the Lawton will offer extended hours this Wednesday — from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. — to capitalize on public interest sparked, in part, by the intriguing nature of the exhibit and publicity in the Press-Gazette and other outlets. If you missed the big P-G story, it's archived at http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070309/GPG04/703090574/1250/GPGlife.
Reminder: Lecture by NASA's Collins is Thursday
Eileen Collins. Space shuttle commander. Lessons in leadership. Free presentation. This Thursday (March 22) at UW-Green Bay. Don't miss it. More details at http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/archive/2007mar.htm#astronaut.
Verdict helps with closure for Halbach's Green Bay friends
Photographer Teresa Halbach of Hilbert was a summa cum laude graduate of UW-Green Bay's communication processes program in 2002. On Halloween 2005, at age 25, she was abducted and murdered in a case that drew national attention. This week's guilty verdict against a Mishicot man was watched closely by former friends at UW-Green Bay. A Press-Gazette story shares reaction at http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070319/GPG0101/703190516/1207/GPGnews.
UW-Green Bay to honor Student Employees
UW-Green Bay will announce the winner of this year's Student Employee of the Year award as part of Student Employee Recognition Week April 9-13. The event offers a chance to stop and appreciate the outstanding contributions and achievements of students who work while attending college. These students not only learn valuable skills that they can take with them upon graduation, but they also make this campus better through their hard work. UW-Green Bay's celebration of Student Employee Appreciation Week will include:
• an e-mailed trivia quiz for student employees with a chance to win daily prizes.
• specials at the University Union's Corner Store that supervisors may purchase for student employees.
• an opportunity for supervisors to receive 'buy one get one free' coupons to take their student employees to lunch on campus.
• cookie decorating (and eating) in the Garden Café Booth at 11 a.m. on Monday, April 9, for student employees.
• free ice cream at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 10 for all student employees, with campus "celebrities" doing the scooping in the Garden Café Booth.
• a chance for student employees to win valuable prizes on Wednesday, April 11 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., if they are brave enough to put their hand in the "spider's nest", also in the Garden Café Booth.
• a free movie and popcorn in the library on Friday, April 13 at 6:30 p.m. and free admission to the dance in the Union at 10:30 p.m.
The Student Employee of the Year Award winner will be announced at a ceremony at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 12 in the Phoenix Rooms in the University Union. The award recognizes a student employee that goes above and beyond their job expectations on a regular basis. The winner will receive an engraved clock, and a plaque will be displayed in the area where the student works. An additional plaque that bears the names of all winners hangs in the Student Employment Office. The winner will advance to the state competition, and possibly compete for regional and national awards, which carry cash prizes. The national Student Employee of the Year will be announced in April.
A panel of student, faculty and staff judges selects the UW-Green Bay Student Employee of the Year. Twenty students were nominated for the award this year. UW-Green Bay has over 800 student employees.
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