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The University’s new Teaching Fellows Program Director Karen Granger knows what it’s like to be a new classroom teacher.

A middle school teacher for five years before joining the faculty at UNCP’s School of Education, Granger is utilizing her experience in the classroom as she creates programs for the University’s 45 Teaching Fellows and recruits students.

“The fun part of this job is meeting students and talking about the University and our Teaching Fellows programs,” Granger said. “I have spent a lot of time in the region’s high schools talking to seniors about the scholarship and what UNCP can offer Teaching Fellows.”

The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program provides $26,000 in scholarships to talented students in return for a four-year commitment to teaching in the public schools. UNCP’s Teaching Fellows Program offers enriching experiences for its members, including special seminars, faculty mentoring, leadership and social opportunities and use of a laptop computer.

Dr. Warren Baker, dean of UNCP’s School of Education said Granger is well prepared to direct UNCP’s program.

“We’ve been fortunate in the past to have had outstanding leaders for our Teaching Fellows Program, and Ms. Granger certainly continues that trend,” Dr. Baker said. “She brings an excitement and enthusiasm to the program that will no doubt move the program forward.”

“Personally, I’m envious of her organization and planning skills. She pays attention to details and thoroughly plans for each aspect of the program’s success,” he said. “Karen interacts well with faculty and students, public school personnel, and prospective students and parents.”

Granger is currently planning a Distinguished Educator Series for the Teaching Fellows that will focus on core classroom issues.

“I plan monthly seminars for all Teaching Fellows that are relevant to new teachers, such as classroom management and working with parents,” she said. “I am also planning monthly seminars targeted to each class of Teaching Fellows on different aspects of teaching.”

Joining the University in July, Granger is teaching an art education course and a freshman seminar class for the 10 newest Teaching Fellows. Freshman Seminar is a mandatory course designed to assist students in their transition to college.

“Teaching Freshman Seminar has been a great way to meet our new members of the program,” she said. “The freshmen Teaching Fellows are a fun group. They are smart, energetic, with great ideas.”

Granger said her transition to higher education has been smooth.

“It’s been a big transition for me personally, but it’s going very well,” she said. “Everyone in the School of Education has been very, very helpful.”

As seniors in high school, Teaching Fellows designate five universities they would attend, so recruiting is an important part of the director’s job.

“We would like our program to grow,” Granger said. “My job is to make sure that the new Teaching Fellows know about UNCP and our strong education program.”

“UNCP was not always well known outside the region,” she said. “The University’s growth and diversity have created an exhilarating atmosphere on campus, and our education program is one of only three universities in North Carolina to earn exemplary status every year the Department of Public Instruction has conducted comprehensive evaluations.”

A native of Lumberton, N.C., Granger received a Bachelor of Arts in studio arts from Converse College and a Master of Arts in art education from the University of Georgia. While at UGA, she coordinated symposiums for gifted students for the Georgia Museum of Art.

She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Robeson County Communities in Schools and Special Events Chairperson for the Robeson Road Runners Rumba on the Lumber and Chevy to the Levee road races and festivals.

Granger taught art at Orrum Middle School, where she won a Bright Ideas grant from Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation for a project that wove the threads of Robeson County history into a quilt. She also worked with the Public Schools of Robeson County’s Very Special Arts program.

Brenda Jacobs is Employee of the Quarter

For the last 32 years, the coffee has been fresh in the office of the Music Department thanks to Brenda Jacobs.

In front of a large Music Department audience, Jacobs accepted Employee of the Quarter (EOQ) recognition on October 13. She received numerous free meals, a reserved parking space, a plaque and the largest reception in EOQ history.

About 75 students, faculty and staff attended the reception in Moore Hall Auditorium.

Jacobs is a 33-year UNCP employee (32 in the Music Department), and she has no intention of retiring. Well, almost no intention.

“I am hoping to retire when my daughter finishes law school at (UNC) Chapel Hill,” she said before backtracking. “I am not saying I will .. I am beginning to say the word.”

Jacobs said she enjoyed all her years.

“I’ve been lucky because I’ve had good professors, and I really like our students,” she said. “As far as music goes, I have learned to appreciate it, but I don’t play an instrument.”

The accomplishment she is proudest of is raising three children. Mickey, the oldest, works in MCI’s engineering department in the Triangle. Beth is in her first year of law school at UNC-Chapel Hill, and Brian is finishing a degree in computer science at Robeson Community College.

Although she remembers life at UNCP with Chancellor English Jones, Jacobs said things are more exciting today. She said the University’s recent record-breaking enrollment is “fantastic.”

“I remember Dr. Jones had a strict dress code. No pants for women,” she said. “But I enjoy things like the new Marching Band these days.”

UNCP may be marching to a new beat, but the coffee is still hot in Brenda Jacobs’ office.

Dr. Ross guides successful Geography Bowl effort

Jenny Bruns of Fayetteville won the most valuable undergraduate award in statewide competition of the 2004 Geography Bowl held at UNC Greensboro on October 1.

This is the third consecutive year that the undergraduate MVP has been a student from UNCP. Bruns’ performance earned her an invitation to participate with the North Carolina all-star team at the Southeastern division of the Association of American Geographers at Biloxi, Miss., in November.

Eric Williamson also will join the North Carolina team for the regional Geography Bowl competition.

Overall, the UNCP geography team finished third of six teams. In total points scored, however, UNCP was second.

Dr. Thomas Ross, team advisor since 1980, said the lack of a geography major at UNCP makes the team’s accomplishments all the more remarkable.

“We had a lot of fun again this year, and performed exceptionally well,” Dr. Ross said. “We compete against far larger universities with geography majors and graduate programs.”

“I was proud of them, and the entire University has something to be proud of,” he said.

Business faculty present at management conference

Two faculty members from the School of Business presented papers at a recent Southeastern Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (SE INFORMS) Conference. The conference was held at Myrtle Beach, S.C., October 7-8. Participants at this year’s meeting consisted of business faculty, doctoral students and MBA students from a number of colleges and universities.

Dr. Rick Crandall (Business) presented two papers. First, he presented “An Update on Telecommuting: A Review and Prospects for Emerging Issues” with MBA student Longge Gao, who was a co-author on this paper. Gao also traveled to the meeting and participated in the presentation.

Second, Dr. Crandall presented “An Analysis of the Popularity of Management Programs.” The paper was co-authored and co-presented with Dr. Richard E. Crandall, of the School of Business at Appalachian State University. Richard E. Crandall is the father of Rick Crandall.

In addition, Dr. Crandall chaired a session on teaching related topics and served as a discussant on two papers.

William “Stewart” Thomas (Business) also presented two papers: “Managing for Return on Investment: Attributes for Enterprise Resource Planning Success” and “Failure Information System Degree Offerings Strategic Rational Underlying Degree Offering Institutions.”

Thomas also chaired a session on curriculum development and served as a discussant on two papers.

Dr. Kania begins teaching stint in Belarus

Fulbright Scholar Dr. Richard Kania (Criminal Justice) is teaching for the Belarusian State University in Minsk. His assignments include teaching Mass Media and Social Issues for the undergraduate Department of Philosophy and Social Sciences and Law and Society for the graduate faculty.

Additionally, Dr. Kania will speak to the Institute for Labor and the Social Sciences in Minsk and will participate in the annual meeting of the Polish Association for American Studies in Warsaw in October.

Dr. Vest has paper accepted at conference

Dr. Jay H.C. Vest (American Indian Studies) had a paper accepted for the Southern Humanities Council 2005 Conference to be held Feb. 3-6 in Richmond, Va.

The paper is titled “The Travels of Francis Louis Michel and the Ethnography of the Monacan Nation.”

Between 1702-1704, Francis Louis Michel, son of a noble family in Berne, Switzerland, made two journeys to America with the intent to settle a Swiss colony in Virginia or Carolina. Although his efforts were not directly successful, his letters led to the formation of a joint-stock company, which eventually lead to Baron Christopher von Graffenried's German colony of New Berne, N.C., in 1710.

In his observations of American Indian life at Williamsburg and at the falls of the James River, where a community of Huguenot settlers had in 1701 occupied the Native village of Monacantown, Michel supplies a significant contribution to Monacan ethnography. The purpose of this essay is to explicate this Monacan ethnography with the intent of creating a systematic analysis.

Dr. Reising earns SACS re-certification

In September, Dr. Robert Reising (English), who this semester is serving as visiting scholar in the American Indian Studies Program at Michigan State University, completed re-certification training for membership on Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ (SACS) Pre-k - 12 Quality Assurance Peer Review Teams, a two-day training session.

Dr. Reising also delivered a paper in Cleveland, Ohio, at the annual meeting of the Midwest Popular Culture Association. The paper was titled, “’Let's Go’: The Call of ‘Sublime Tobacco’; or How Jim Thorpe Came to Lose His Olympic Awards.”

Parnell, Crandall collaborate on business paper

Dr. John Parnell (Business) and Dr. Rick Crandall (Business) collaborated with two other professors on a paper that was published in the Central Business Review.

The paper’s title is: “Taking another look at crisis management: Re-assessing the assessment of worst-case scenarios in the lodging industry.”

Dr. Jones presents paper at teachers’ conference

Dr. Ginny Pompei Jones (English) presented a paper at the North Carolina English Teachers’ Annual Conference in Charlotte in the beginning of October. The paper related to teaching sophomore-level literary genres and was titled: “Teaching Elements of Literature through Art: Romanticism, Realism, and Culture.”

UCIS staff makes presentations to UNC Cause

Maurice Mitchell (UCIS) presented at the Educause Core Data Service to UNC Cause at its 2004 annual conference in Boone, N.C., on October 5.

Tom Jackson (UCIS) and Kevin Pait (UCIS) presented the UNCP VoIP project to UNC Cause.

Birthdays, October 15-31
Sharon Bien
Sharon Campbell
Anthony Curtis
Dinna Edgell
Marco Genee
Margaret Houston
Billie Jo Hunt
Willie Hunt Jr.
Michael Jimenez
John Labadie
Judith Lee
Tulla Lightfoot
Bobby D. Locklear Jr.
Pamela Locklear
Wayne K. Locklear
Larry McNeill
Kevin Pait
P. Lee Phillips
Jennifer Prevost
Michael Schaeffer
Ed Schempp
Doretha Singley
Gary Tremblay

New Hires
Gordon Lowery - General Utility Worker, Physical Plant
Gary Locklear - Grounds Supervisor, Physical Plant
Lori Balke - Enrollment Services Officer, Financial Aid
Tawanna Locklear - Processing Assistant, Physical Plant
Laten Jones - Grounds Worker, Physical Plant
Ellen Gooch – Psychologist, Counseling and Testing

Promotions
Gary L. Locklear - Grounds Worker, Physical Plant
Sean Breeden- Grounds Worker, Physical Plant

Births
Stephen Robison (Art) and his wife, Kathy, announced the birth of their son Leo Francis Robison on Sept. 24.

Flu shot shortage information is available

British regulators unexpectedly shut down a major flu-shot supplier, citing manufacturing problems at the Chiron Corp. factory in England, where roughly 46 million doses destined for the United States were manufactured.

Top federal health officials are urging healthy people to defer getting their influenza shots so medication will be available for those most at risk.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) requested that all agencies voluntarily restrict vaccinations for only those deemed to be at high risk. In support of the CDC's recommendations, all flu clinics were suspended. Only agencies that serve high risk populations (i.e., medical facilities, etc.) plan to have flu clinics.

Anyone who is considered a high risk may still go to one of 700 retail sites across the state to get a free flu shot. There will be a simple questionnaire to complete to determine high risk status and interested persons should bring their state health plan identification card and photo identification To find a clinic, members may visit one of the following Web sites or call: 1-800-617-3797. Go to www.bcbsnc.com (click on "I'm a Member," then click on "State Comprehensive Health Plan") www.findaflushot.com. As always, if you have any questions, please call Student Health Services at (910) 521-6219.

UNC may seek new health insurance provider

At the meeting of the Faculty Assembly on October 1, delegates were requested to notify their campuses about a study being conducted to investigate the possibility of adopting an alternative to the current health care coverage. Molly Broad has appointed a steering committee of 16 people and several advisors to look into it and to propose an alternate
plan.

Nancy Fogerty, chair of the Committee on Faculty Welfare and Benefits, asked that every member of the university community be aware that she will be sending a survey by email to every employee. Faculty and staff should receive the survey by email before the end of this month. Based on the survey’s outcome, the committee will then do a five-year pilot project, while retaining the same coverage UNC employees currently have. If interested in expressing your preferences (for example, more flexibility, more emphasis on preventive care, or whatever), you will have the means to do that by competing the survey. For those without access to email, the committee will also make phone calls.

HR training for November posted on Web site

November training at HR is now posted online at www.uncp.edu/hr/forms/training_enrollment_form.doc.

To enroll in any of the trainings, please submit a completed registration form to Human Resources via campus mail, fax or email directly with the completed form.

NCFlex enrollment ends Nov. 5

NCFlex annual enrollment ends November 5. Booklets and enrollment forms were mailed to employees’ campus addresses last week.

Additions: Two new plans have been added to the NCFlex Plan.

1. Voluntary group term life insurance:

• Provides a benefit if you die
• No accumulated cash value
• Can elect coverage up to $100,000 without providing evidence of insurability (Up to $500,000 coverage with evidence of insurability and approval by ING.)
• Monthly premiums are based on your age as of your effective date of coverage and the coverage amount you choose. See page 8-9 of your enrollment Booklet.

2. Cancer insurance:

• High option or low option available
• Must enroll during annual enrollment to be guaranteed coverage without providing Evidence of Insurability

Plan changes:

• Flexible spending accounts – NCFlex is now offering a new convenience card feature, which allows users to pay for certain expenses directly, instead of filing paper claims.

There is a small annual fee of $6 (an additional $5 will get your dependent(s) a card). If enrolled in the flexible spending accounts, a separate convenience card enrollment form is included with your flexible spending account claims kit.

Dental: New rate structure for the dental plan will become effective January 1, 2005.

High option:
Employee only - $31.34
Employee and spouse - $62.72
Employee with one child - $60.20
Employee/ two or more children - $76,04
Family - $110.66

Low option:
Employee only - $17.12
Employee and spouse - $34.38
Employee with one child - $33
Employee/ two or more children - $42.02
Family - $58.76

High option:
Effective January 1, 2005, the high option annual plan deductible will increase from $25 per individual to $50 per individual. No deductible will apply to Diagnostic and Preventive services.

Low option:
Effective January 1, 2005, the low option annual plan deductible of $50 per individual will apply to all services including diagnostic and preventative.

Gov. Easley proclaims ‘excellence’ week

Governor Easley has proclaimed October 18 - 22, as “Excellence in State Government Week” and Wednesday, October 20, as “Excellence in State Government Day.”

View Proclamation