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Exciting projects proposed in campus master plan Those who have studied or worked at Old Dominion the last few years have witnessed many changes and considerable growth to the campus landscape. From the Ted Constant Convocation Center and the University Village Apartments to Constant Hall and the new Engineering and Computational Sciences Building that is nearing completion, exciting developments are taking place everywhere. And more are on the way. The university is in the final stages of updating its 1995 master plan, a document that, when completed, will guide future growth based on projected needs. “Over the past few years, we have been identifying campus space needs, from instructional programs and research to operations and maintenance to recreation,” said Robert Fenning, vice president for administration and finance. “We know, for example, that three years or five years from now, we will need x-amount of square footage. The master plan identifies how to manage the physical development of the campus. “It becomes critical for us to identify future facilities and sites and make sure we can cost-effectively do the development. There is a much greater emphasis now on sponsored research, which drives space and facilities.” Old Dominion has retained the firm of Ayres Saint Gross to provide assistance with updating the campus master plan. This firm guided the development of the 1995 master plan and its recent clients include Johns Hopkins, Emory and the University of North Carolina. While the updated plan will look at growth as much as 15 years down the road, a number of projects are on the immediate horizon. Among these is a renovation of and addition to the Health and Physical Education Building. Since assessing the desires of the campus community via a survey at the start of the fall semester, the university is developing a plan, with the consulting firm Sports Plan Studio, to provide more recreational facilities for students, faculty and staff. Fenning said the project is a “very high priority” and one “we would like to pursue as rapidly as possible.” “The needs assessment suggests a major renovation to the building and a fairly substantial addition in order to accommodate such things as expanded weight training and cardiovascular equipment and a rock- climbing wall,” he said. “The study also identified a need for more instructional and research space for the exercise science, sport, physical education and recreation department.” Other recommendations include an indoor track, courts for racket sports and space designated for martial arts. Down the road, Fenning said, the building could also get “expanded aquatics facilities.” In addition, the study noted a need for more athletic fields and better training facilities for intercollegiate sports teams. “Much of this comes with substantial price tags,” cautioned Fenning, who said an H&PE project would be financed primarily by student fees and the retirement of existing debt. “The scale of the project will be based in many respects on student interest and excitement.” Elsewhere on campus, plans call for adding a four-level parking garage on the parking lot adjacent to the Mills Godwin Jr. Building and Perry Library. Construction could start as early as next summer, with estimated completion by fall 2005. And a new Alumni Center, which will house the alumni relations office and program areas for the Alumni Association in what was the Public Safety Building, is expected to open sometime in February. Across Hampton Boulevard in the University Village, continued growth is expected in the coming months and over the next several years. As many as five retail shops, most of them eateries, will open in early 2004 in the first-floor space beneath the University Village Apartments, Fenning said. Also, construction has begun on six more student apartment buildings along Monarch Way, which are scheduled to open next fall. Plans are also under way regarding the construction of a hotel and parking garage immediately north of the convocation center, as well as the first of several research buildings. “Right now, the focus is on land assembly by the ODU Real Estate Foundation for the development of a large retail shopping center in the Village,” Fenning said. Elsewhere on campus, the updated master plan is calling for more improvements to the Elizabeth River waterfront, near Whitehurst Hall. The first phase of the proposed project would include more space for outdoor activity, more passive areas for relaxation, a small amphitheater and a reception area. The second phase, which would be more focused on instruction and research, would feature the construction of a large pier to accommodate vessels from the oceanography and biology programs, as well as facilities for research. “I hope that the waterfront development project can be put on a fast track,” Fenning said. Yet another project, further down the road, includes additions and renovations to Webb Center. Among the proposed additions are a “ballroom, expanded meeting facilities and more fun spaces for students,” Fenning said. The campus master plan also calls for one day closing Elkhorn Avenue and replacing the H&PE parking lot with student housing, a parking garage and green space. Also proposed is a parking garage and green space for the parking lot behind Kaufman Hall. “The desire is for a more pedestrian-oriented campus,” Fenning said. The scale and development timetables for many of these projects are still under review, but they all will eventually be submitted to the Board of Visitors for consideration. “We will move forward on them as rapidly as possible, based upon student and university interest in the facilities, the institution’s debt capacity and our effective financial planning,” Fenning said. Driving the master plan is the goal of creating an environment that meets the needs of the university community so that students, faculty and staff will want to spend more time on campus. “This will help with recruitment and retention of both students and faculty,” Fenning observed. Back to top
Wiesel’s personal experience of the Holocaust has led him to use his talents as an author, teacher and storyteller to defend human rights and peace throughout the world. His efforts have earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal and the Medal of Liberty Award, the rank of Grand-Croix in the French Legion of Honor, and in 1986, the Nobel Peace Prize. He has received more than 100 honorary degrees from institutions of higher learning. Wiesel has defended the cause of Soviet and Israeli Jews, Nicaragua’s Miskito Indians, Argentina’s “disappeared,” Cambodian refugees, the Kurds, South African apartheid victims, famine victims in Africa and prisoners in the former Yugoslavia. In 1978 President Jimmy Carter appointed him chairman of the President’s Commission on the Holocaust. In 1980 he became founding chairman of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council. Wiesel is also the founding president of the Paris-based Universal Academy of Cultures. Three months after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Wiesel and his wife established The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity to advance the cause of human rights and peace throughout the world by creating a new forum for the discussion of urgent ethical issues confronting humanity. Wiesel has written more than 40 books which have won numerous awards, including the Grand Prize for Literature from the city of Paris for “The Fifth Son.” His two-volume memoir, “All Rivers Run to the Sea” and “And the Sea Is Never Full,” was published in 1995 and 1999. A native of Sighet, Transylvania, Wiesel and his family were deported by the Nazis to the Auschwitz concentration camp when he was 15 years old. His mother and younger sister perished there, but his two older sisters survived. Wiesel and his father were later transported to Buchenwald, where his father died. After World War II, Wiesel studied in Paris and later became a journalist there, yet he remained silent about what he had endured and witnessed as an inmate in the death camps. During an interview with the French writer Francois Mauriac, Wiesel was persuaded to end his silence. He subsequently wrote “La Nuit” (“Night”), a terrifying account of his experiences in the Nazi death camps. Since its publication in 1958, the book has been translated into 30 languages, and millions of copies have been sold. Wiesel was previously Distinguished Professor of Judaic Studies at the City University of New York and the first Henry Luce Visiting Scholar in the Humanities and Social Thought at Yale University. Back to top Board to meet Dec. 12 The Board of Visitors will meet at 1:15 p.m. Dec. 12 in the Webb Center Board Room. The following committees will meet earlier in the day:
The Modern Jewish Philosophy Reading Group will host a discussion of selections from Hermann Cohen’s “Religion and Reason” from 1-3 p.m. Dec. 7 in room 206 of the Batten Arts and Letters Building. Also on Dec. 7, the Franco-Jewish Film Series will screen “Madama Rosa” at 2 p.m. in room 102 of the Mills Godwin Jr. Life Sciences Building. On Dec. 15, the Jewish Women Writers Reading Group will host a discussion of Paula Cohen’s “Jane Austen in Boca” at 7:30 p.m. The event will be held at the Chabad House, 1920 Colley Ave., Norfolk. Doctoral students’ posters take honors at conference Doctoral students from the colleges of Health Sciences and Business and Public Administration won first-place and honorable mention awards in the American Public Health Association’s student research poster contest. Both posters were peer-reviewed and presented at the 131st annual meeting of the APHA in San Francisco Nov. 15-19. Paul Magnant (Health Sciences), with co-authors Nina Frola (Business) and Stacey B. Plichta, associate professor of community and environmental health, won first place for the poster “Teaching Food Safety to Culinary Students.” The award included a $100 prize. Holly Beard (Health Sciences), Susan R. Perkins (Business) and Plichta won honorable mention for the poster “Predictors of Mental Health Status Among Women Over the Age of 35 Co-residing with Children Under 18.” Back to top
Tunnicliffe is the first sailor ever to win two consecutive women’s singlehanded championships, and the win gave the ODU sailing program its 14th national title. Her nearest competitor was Harvard’s Genny Tulloch, who had 74 points. An accounting major, Tunnicliffe plays cello in the ODU Orchestra and is an athletic trainer. Back to top Women’s studies seeks student papers for contest The women’s studies department is looking for the best student papers of 2003 on topics pertaining to women. The deadline for submission is Jan. 30. One undergraduate and one graduate student winner will each receive a $100 award from the Friends of Women’s Studies. Honorable mention winners will also receive a cash award. Students may be full- or part-time, and papers must have been submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of an ODU course during the 2003 spring, summer or fall semesters. They need not have been written for a women’s studies course. For more information contact Amanda Bloodgood at abloodgo@odu.edu. Back to top
The entire campus police department is now located here, including dispatch, investigation, security and administration. The main phone number is 683-4003. The office’s old location on 49th Street is being renovated for an alumni center which will house the Office of Alumni Relations. Back to top
The American Psychological Association accredited the program in 1982 and to date there are 189 graduates. Twenty-four faculty from the four institutions teach in the program and 60 community supervisors from public and private area mental health agencies provide clinical practicum training. Advanced practicum training is offered in neuropsychology, family therapy and individual therapy. Back to top
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Tidewater Affiliate and area hospitals have joined forces with ODU and designated the 2 p.m. contest as “Hoops for a Cure.” A pregame Women’s Health Expo will kick off the day’s events at noon on the Constant Center plaza, featuring live music by Broad Street, a mobile mammography unit and information booths on women’s health issues. Halftime activities will include a performance by Jazzercise and recognition of local survivors. Tickets for the game are $13. For every ticket sold by the hospitals and the Komen Foundation, $6 will benefit the Komen Tidewater Affiliate and fund local breast health services as well as breast cancer research. Tickets may be purchased by calling 490-7794.
The drive helps numerous families in the Hampton Roads area and teaches the children at the Child Study Center about giving. The children take an active role in the project by decorating and wrapping many of the gifts. Items may be dropped off in a box located inside the entrance to the Child Study Center through Dec. 16. For more information call 683-5465. Back to top
The engineering management master’s program was one of the first three programs certified by the American Society for Engineering Management, and the counseling services office was declared an accredited agency in good standing by the International Association of Counseling Services. Back to top
At a luncheon on campus Dec. 13, the Alumni Association will present them with Outstanding Scholar Awards, given to the student with the highest grade point average in each college. Also recognized at the luncheon will be the Old Dominion faculty members who most inspired the students. The top scholars and their inspirational faculty members are: Arts and Letters – Veronica E. Miele of Virginia Beach, an interdisciplinary studies major with a 3.99 GPA (David Pagano, lecturer of English); Business and Public Administration – Tanya Marie Wilkerson of Virginia Beach, an information technology major with a 4.0 GPA (Bill Crouch, associate professor of management information systems/decision sciences); Education – Michele Elizabeth Fischer of Virginia Beach, a human services counseling major with a 3.96 GPA (Nola Nicholson, academic adviser); Engineering and Technology – Jacob Daniel Cottle III of Suffolk, a mechanical engineering technology major with a 4.0 GPA (Gary Crossman, professor of engineering technology); and Sciences – Julia Ann Sharp of Hampton, a biological sciences major with a 4.0 GPA (Ralph Stevens, associate professor of biological sciences). Back to top
Her new novel, “Secret Santa” (Atria Books), co-written with Robert Tate Miller, is being released this season as a contemporary classic tale and made-for-TV family movie that reminds us of the true nature of Christmas. The inspirational holiday movie, which airs at 9 p.m. (ET) Dec. 14 on NBC, will feature some of television’s most familiar faces. Jennie Garth (“What I Like About You,” “Beverly Hills 90210”) will play the lead of Rebecca. Charlie Robinson (“Night Court, “Miss Lettie and Me”) will play Russell and Barbara Billingsly (“Leave It to Beaver,” “Airplane”) has been cast in the role of Miss Ruthie. Polson, a 1973 graduate of ODU, said she drew on her background as a writer at The Virginian-Pilot for the story, which follows reporter Rebecca Chandler from Indianapolis to nearby Hamden, Ind., to write a feature about the small town’s Secret Santa, a benevolent stranger who appears mysteriously every Christmas Eve to bestow the perfect gift on some less-fortunate soul. But instead of “wasting her time” on another sappy holiday tale, she sets out to unmask the charitable St. Nick, leaving him as the “bleeding heart do-gooder formerly known as Secret Santa.” Chandler didn’t count on Hamden, though, home to a cast of lovable and quirky characters – and the most unlikely Secret Santa of them all. In her determination to uncover him and reveal her investigative skills, she learns that things are not always what they appear, and in the process finds love ... and the true meaning of Christmas. Polson is the president of The Polson Co. She has worked for all the major networks and is the co-author of “Not My Kid” and “Go Toward the Light.” Back to top
Also at the meeting, the senate remanded to its Promotion and Tenure Committee for further review a proposal for the conversion of non-tenure positions to tenure positions. The proposal calls for new procedures in the Faculty Handbook regarding the conversion of positions. The senate’s next meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. Jan. 20 in the Portsmouth/Chesapeake Room of Webb Center. Back to top
The show, which highlights faculty expertise at Virginia’s higher education institutions, will feature jazz interpretations of holiday music by John Toomey, professor of music; and readings by poet Peter Meinke, Darden Endowed Chair of Creative Writing, and writer Jay Lidington of ODU’s Office of University Relations, an adjunct faculty member at Tidewater Community College’s Norfolk campus. The segment will air on WHRV-FM (89.5) at 11 a.m. Dec. 24. It will be broadcast on the Web, www.virginia.edu/vfh/wgr, beginning Dec. 20. The show also includes a host of other faculty from Virginia colleges and universities. Back to top
An attempt was first made this week, in collaboration with some of the leading technology companies in Silicon Valley, at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) in Orlando, Fla. But as it turned out, there weren’t enough computers on hand to process the information. VMASC’s role in the exercise is to provide integration support for the Joint National Training Capability Horizontal Event. In a unique partnership, VMASC received more than $500,000 in donated equipment and software from Vitesse Semiconductor, “Softek” Storage Provisioning Software, Seagate, Intel and Digital Persona. The resulting storage device, nicknamed “StorM in a Box,” meaning storage machine in a box, will stream more than five terabytes of data to application servers at rates up to 2.1 gigabits per second complete with integrated biometric authentication. The disk input/output is expected to set a world record. “This is the first time we’ve partnered at the source to make this type of integration happen,” said Mark Phillips, VMASC Battle Laboratory director. “Normally, the Silicon Valley companies go to the hardware companies rather than to the end user to determine requirements. Collaboration at this level creates a better understanding of the needs and problems.” According to the partners, the VMASC collaboration is an industry first in that hardware, software, applications engineers and security experts, who usually never interface, are meeting to resolve system-level issues at the micro level. At the conference, ODU modeling and simulation graduate students had direct access to the principal engineers of the Silicon Valley powerhouses, exchanging ideas and learning how a product-development plan evolves. Back to top
The agreement opens ODU’s master ‘s degree in international studies to students at the War College and offers graduate credit toward the War College’s graduate degree in national security and strategic studies, a potential boon to those stationed in the Norfolk area and around the country, said Douglas V. Smith, professor of strategy and policy at the Naval War College. Under the agreement, ODU students also have access to the NWC’s specialized track on naval and national security issues. The new partnership is one of more than 20 formal academic and research agreements developed by ODU with the military services. “This agreement will enhance the educational opportunities of both our military and civilian students, but there is a larger context to it as well,” said Kurt Taylor Gaubatz, director of the Graduate Program in International Studies (GPIS) at ODU. “The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have again highlighted the importance of providing military officers a better understanding of the complexities of history and politics, and of giving civilian decision-makers a better understanding of the capabilities and character of modern military operations. This initiative will contribute to this important academic-military dialogue.” The Naval War College will now accept graduate credits from GPIS, as well as other appropriate courses related to national security and strategic concerns, for elective requirements in the NWC Nonresident Graduate Degree Program. Graduate semester hours awarded by ODU will be accepted on a one-for-one basis. ODU has agreed to award 12 credits to graduates of the 21-credit NWC program, accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Back to top
USA Today honors outstanding students annually by naming its All-USA College Academic Team. The 10 students selected to the All-USA First Team will be pictured in the newspaper and receive a $2,500 cash award. Forty runners-up will be named to the Second and Third teams and will receive certificates of achievement and have their names in the newspaper. Kothari plans to graduate with a degree in computer science in December 2004. The son of Dilip Kothari, he has received numerous scholarships and honors, including the "Quiet Influence Award" from the Office of Sutdent Activities and Leadership for his work with a computer-education program. Manalang, a sociology and communication major, plans to graduate in May 2004. The daughter of Florian and Artemio Manalang, she hopes to pursue a career in academia and community service. She is currently involved in a project to help preserve native Filipino culture through the development of children's curricula, storytelling, history and ancient native script. Both Kristine Gonzalez, a 1999 Old Dominion graduate from Suffolk, and Rosemarie Liu, a 2002 graduate from Burke, Va., were named to the competition’s Third Team in the last four years. Linda K. Wolfe, a 2003 ODU graduate, received Honorable Mention honors in last year's contest. Back to top
A social will be held prior to the show in the Constant Center’s multipurpose room. The show will feature three large projection screens hung above the orchestra showing footage of the renowned Peanuts characters, who appear to interact with the artists on stage. Each performer’s hits will be woven into a plot that roughly parallels the original “Charlie Brown Christmas Special.” The cost is $25 per person, which includes ticket and social with heavy hors d’oeuvres and beverages. Reservations are due Dec. 5. For more information or to register call 683-3097. Back to top
Plaques were awarded to ODU’s Office of Public Safety and to President Roseann Runte and Cecelia Tucker, director of community relations. Back to top
Equipment to support the project will be set up on campus along the east edge of Lot 40, next to Perry Library, to divert flow from a campus sewer line. The equipment will be in place until about March 12. While the work is being performed, additional equipment will be set up along 43rd Street. Two lanes of traffic will be left open on 43rd, from Hampton Boulevard to Elkhorn, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during this period. During off hours and academic breaks, traffic may be reduced to a single lane with a flagger. Back to top
When she’s not working as ODU’s director of corporate and foundation relations, Murray can be heard doing book reviews on WHRV-FM (89.5), one of Hampton Roads’ National Public Radio affiliate stations. All together, Murray said she’s probably reviewed 50 books for the station and PortFolio Weekly magazine. There have been good books and not-so-good ones. Recent titles have included “Death’s Acre” by Bill Bass and John Jefferson, “Dead in the Water” by Margaret Hoffman, a re-issue of Mark Twain’s “The War Prayer” and “Holes” by Louis Sachar An archive of the reviews is available on the Web at www.whro.org/radio/lisaslist/index.shtml Murray, who joined ODU in 1998, is responsible for establishing relationships with corporations and foundations, with the goal of raising endowment funds for the university. Working in the Office of Development, she is part of a team of nine fund raisers working on the $100 million capital campaign. She is also a member of the Friends of the ODU Library board and the university Marketing Council, and serves as faculty adviser for Golden Key International Honour Society. – James J. Lidington College degrees: Hartwick College, B.A. English, 1976; ODU, M.A. English, 2001 Birth date: Surely you jest. Let’s just say I’m a Scorpio. Hometown: Hmmm. Moved around a lot, but born in Geneva, N.Y. I consider Norfolk home. Pets: Three cats, PoohBearRex (faux Maine coon), Spinner (was born in a washing machine), Salem (black); one dog, Merlin (border collie) Pet peeve: Using the word “grow” to denote the development of a corporation or other non-organic entity Favorite place on campus: Williamsburg Lawn, for its beauty and tranquility Most memorable campus experience: Listening to Molly Ivins a few years ago at a President’s Lecture Most treasured possession in my office: My collection of Art in Science photomicrographs as taken by Martina Doblin and Lisa Drake. This has been my favorite project to work on, and the images are just beautiful. Note cards are available! Boxed sets of 10 different images are $10 (check payable to ODU Research Foundation). Great holiday gifts! Whom I admire most at ODU: Bob Ash, for his enthusiasm, passion and intelligence. His commitment to the Wright Flyer project is awesome. Last book read: “The Madam” by Julianna Baggott Favorite movie: “Foul Play,” with Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn, for comedy; “The Pianist” for drama Favorite quotation: “Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.” Greatest accomplishment: Earning my master’s in English Favorite song: “The Bach Solo Cello Suites,” performed by Yo-Yo Ma (classical); “Southern Rain,” by the Cowboy Junkies (country); “I would Walk 500 Miles,” by The Proclaimers (other) My idea of the perfect day off: Sitting on my porch, reading Hobbies: Reading, knitting, basketmaking, beading Favorite TV show: “Monk” Favorite meal: Macaroni and cheese, preferably as made by my Aunt Grace Vice: Pinot Grigio Favorite sport: Horse racing Last vacation: October 2003, four days in Omaha to visit a friend I’d not seen in 10 years Favorite area restaurant: No Frill Bar and Grill, Spotswood Avenue, Norfolk Last smart thing I did: Switched from a landline to a cell phone. No more telemarketers! Last dumb thing I did: You don’t really expect me to answer this? Worst job: Customer service rep for the Better Business Bureau What profession, other than the one you’re in, would you like to attempt? Novelist What would you want your epitaph to be? “Good sense of humor. Got the last laugh.” Back to top
The following are excerpts from the nominees’ personal statements, which were part of the nomination materials. Nina W. Brown There is evidence from studies on career choice that we choose careers consistent with our personalities. Studies have also shown that the personalities of people within a career group are similar. Putting these two together, it would seem that I not only have a personality suitable for a college professor, but I also share many common characteristics with professors. Some characteristics that come readily to mind are a need and ability to to tolerate long periods of isolation, a passion for knowledge, an interest in devising means to promote learning, a continuing search for greater understanding and a determination that nothing gets in the way of, or supercedes, class time. The search for new ideas and new understandings leads to the creation of new knowledge, and all these are integral parts of who I am, and of what I do. ... I derive much energy and excitement from teaching, and my students provide me with material to explore and learn. Gary R. Edgerton My first experience in front of a university classroom was as a graduate student when I was assigned a class in film history all to myself at 24. I wasn’t much older than the students who sat before me that cold and snowy January morning back in 1977. I remember being nearly unconscious with fright, although I adopted a brave face, and proceeded to improvise as best I could, relying mostly on my passion for the subject and whatever excess adrenaline was throbbing through my veins. Much to my surprise, several students came up to ask me questions after class as though I was a real professor, and from that point onward, I’ve never looked back. ... In college I literally woke up to the worlds of art, literature and history, especially, enthralled by the newfound realization that people could actually have this much fun thinking for a living. John B. Ford My philosophy of scholarly endeavors can be summed up in two words: practical relevance. Every aspect of my teaching and scholarship contains a practical aspect. Having come into academia from the business world, I have seen a need for enhanced relevance in research. I am concerned that business education has shied away from its obligation to help the student to be successful in the “real world.” The job for the professor, as I see it, is to focus on managerial implications and relevance in his or her research so both practitioners and academicians can benefit from the work. It also helps that I love the opportunity for interacting with students! The classroom is the premier forum for bridging the gap from theory to practice by demonstrating the practical relevance of the professor’s cutting-edge research. The students are given new information, which will potentially help them to make sound decisions in a business setting ... . Lawrence J. Hatab Teaching, especially at the college level, requires a remarkable complex of skills, dispositions and roles. You are an expert, a learner, a friend, a parent, a performer, a judge, a cheerleader, an enticer, a critic, an orator, a listener, a professional, a person. No formula or guidebook can dictate how to balance and orchestrate all these elements. And teaching philosophy is a special challenge. It is the one liberal arts discipline that students have little if any exposure to before college. I always try to operate by three principles in my teaching, what I call the gateway principle, the relevance principle and the patience principle. First, never forget what it is like to come to philosophical questions for the first time. ... Second, always connect philosophy with concrete life concerns, and thus not simply as a pedagogical technique, but as a measure of philosophy’s true meaning and importance. Third, have the patience to let students come to important insights at their own pace ... Cynthia M. Jones I grew up in an age and society that didn’t encourage women to become explorers and scientists. ... Even so, science fascinated me and I was forever doing some experiment on my own. As a freshman, I volunteered in my biology professor’s lab and my whole world changed. I fell utterly in love with scientific research. My first real science was a project to understand why leaves fall. I was hooked. ... As one of the first women to enter the oceanography program at the University of Rhode Island, I was told by one of the school’s leaders that I wasn’t given any scholarship money, despite my academic excellence because they “didn’t want to waste their money on a woman.” ... My life experiences have taught me the importance of loving the thing you do. I believe that if I can instill this love of science in my students, that I will share one of life’s greatest gifts. Jill Jurgens At the beginning of every semester I share “guidelines” for student interaction. Essential to these guidelines is my assertion that the opinions of each and every student deserve respect and consideration. I model this respect when students voice their opinions. I strive to validate their opinions while encouraging them to take a critical look at their beliefs and to see the possibilities in the ideas of others. I also stress that the disagreements are a natural part of critical inquiry. ... I often use real-life experiences to demonstrate the topic being discussed. I feel it is a bit hypocritical to expect students to share their feelings and personal narratives if I am not willing to take similar risks. ... This openness has led students to regard me as extremely approachable – this in itself is one of the greatest compliments I can receive as a teacher. Katharine C. Kersey Since becoming a college professor, I have been thrilled to discover that my passion for children could be transmitted to others who were already, or would become, parents and teachers themselves. ... As I assumed more responsibilities and took on a leadership role in my college, I never lost my passion. I was able to continue to work at the “grassroots level” with teachers, parents and children and to share that passion with our students. ... Our graduate students spend 300 hours working with master’s-level teachers, who have all been trained in using my “101 Positive Discipline Techniques.” When they go into the public schools to student-teach, they are immediately recognized for their ability to relate to children and manage the complexities of the classroom. School systems are eager to hire our graduates. They stand out because of their passion for children and ability to connect and motivate. Karl H. Schoenbach Crossing intellectual and geographic borders has shown me that the research “El Dorado” can be found ... sometimes just a campus building away. To discover it may require crossing the border to another department, another discipline. It also requires finding partners who are willing to join such an adventure, who are not expecting rewards right away, but who stick together for the long haul. ... Being creative and making discoveries on our own, rather than copying what has been done before, requires understanding of the basic concepts in science, as opposed to just knowing the mathematical expression that describes them. This is the philosophy that I have tried to convey to all my students. I have tried to make [them] aware of the underlying physics of processes and phenomena. ... I try to convince my graduate students that they need to take risks when they want to explore new areas ... . Charles E. Wilson Jr. My teaching philosophy is to create and maintain a student-centered environment. I believe we all learn from one another – both in the classroom and in life. Consequently, I encourage students to contribute to discussions and to challenge the various premises we submit for exploration. So that all feel comfortable voicing their opinions, I insist that we respect views different from our own, as each comment is an asset to the learning process. Sustaining an atmosphere of mutual respect is particularly important in my classes because we often discuss emotionally charged issues. Both African American literature and Southern literature, two courses I teach quite often, require that students tackle not only issues of race, class and gender, but also diverse views on history and politics. It is my responsibility, and one I gladly assume, to present an impartial front so all voices can be heard. Back to top
30 and 35 Years
25 Years 20 Years 15 Years 10 Years 5 Years My ODU: Thanks for the feedback: Here’s what you’ve said so far By Ann Reid Tatman Chair, Portal Leadership Team “I want myODU” is the tag line you will soon be seeing in materials introducing the portal to the campus community. Because many diverse constituencies make up our university community, each with specific needs, the Portal Leadership Team has held discussions with various groups to gain initial insight about how our users might relate to the portal. The team will use this feedback to develop initial offerings through the portal. While all identified needs cannot be addressed at the outset, this information will provide a road map for the ongoing portal implementation. The content and services of myODU will evolve and improve, based on the changing needs of the university. So, what do future users want in their portal? While the findings are preliminary, as research team leader Marty Smith Sharpe and others continue to interview users, some information appears to be consistent thus far. All users are looking for a simpler way to navigate through the ODU Web resources, all want timely and relevant information, a standardized layout, a better search engine and relief from having to remember multiple passwords. All respondents want Web technology to work better for them – a concept totally compatible with the personalized, customized nature of portal technology. Here are some selected highlights from discussions with faculty, staff and students on what they would like to see in myODU: Students
Faculty and Administrators
Classified Staff
The myODU portal is long-term project that will engage many people in our community, and include both current and new information systems and resources. The goal is to meet users’ needs by providing a single place where it is much simpler for constituents to access learning support and to do business with the university. Back to top
“We would like to have a supportive crowd at the game, and encourage you and your office staff to attend,” said Debbie Byrne, associate athletic director. “Classified employees are encouraged to discuss any leave arrangements with their immediate supervisor and attend the game by taking a late lunch, making up the two hours during that week or taking annual leave time to attend the game.” A special lunch price of $10 will include a game ticket, hot dog and soft drink, or employees may purchase a ticket for $9 at the faculty/staff discount price. The Monarchs take on Liberty University at 7 p.m. that day, and a $13 ticket purchase will admit employees to both the men’s and women’s games on the 18th. For more information call 683-4444. Back to top
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