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PALLADIAN

Inside this issue:

Upcoming Events 2

Program Development 4

Environmental Programs 5

International Programs 6

Technology/NITLE 8

Member News 9

Features:

Summer Languages Institutes •in China

Special Tribute•ACS Representatives visit •Chinese Universities

Furman University’s •Sustainability Officer

Spring 2009

Funds Designated for Summer Language Institutes in China

The Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) has

designated $1,110,000 to the Associated Colleges of the South to conduct two 2009 Summer Language Institutes in China – $950,000 in direct support of the program and $160,000 set aside for participant travel. The institutes will be held in Suzhou and Harbin, China. Furman University will lead the program at Soochow University in Suzhou, under the direction of Dongming Zhang, and Hendrix College will lead the program at Heilongjiang University in Harbin with Peter Gess and Jay McDaniel directing

the program. The funds will enable the consortium to offer immediate and advanced Mandarin in nine-week institutes – serving a total of 80 American students.

The 2009 institutes build on the success-ful institutes offered earlier by Furman and Hendrix, both of which have received extensive credit for leading the institutes so effectively.

Further information may be obtained from CAORC at http://www.caorc.org or from http://www.colleges.org/chinese/index.html.

Faculty Renewal Grants Awarded

The consortium recently awarded grants to 22 ACS faculty for faculty renewal

projects – all funded by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

The review committee invited 32 faculty to submit full proposals by January 15, 2009, and received 26. The committee met on February 3 and awarded grants of up to $8,000 each to the following 22 ACS faculty members. Leadership Development 1. Kathleen Rossman, Acting Associate Provost, Birmingham-Southern College, “Faculty Leadership Development at Birmingham-Southern College”Professional Development

Timothy Smith, Art History; Jim Neel, 1. Art, Birmingham-Southern College, “The Art of Negotiating Identity”

Sandra Sprayberry, English, 2. Birmingham-Southern College, “Re-turning Ginen: Visual Art and Poetry Reflecting Upon a Visit to Ghana”

Helen Emmitt, English, Centre 3. College, “Re-Invigorating First-Year Humanities”

Jeffrey Fieberg, Chemistry; Chris 4. Barton, Biology; Dan Manheim, English; Jason Neiser, Physics, Centre College, “Exploration of Model Undergraduate Research Programs”

John Perry, Economics; Bruce 5. Johnson, Economics; Marie Petkus, Economics, Centre College, “Producing SASSY Economists: An Intensive SAS Training Program”

Thomas McCollough, Religion; Beth 6. Glazier-McDonald, Religion, Centre College, “Colloquium on Genocide and Religion”

Phillip Lockett, Physics, Centre 7. College; Juan Rodriquez, Biophysics, Centenary College, “Introductory Course in Biological Physics”

Robert Prickett, Education, Meg 8. Webber, Education, Centenary

Continued on page 2

A S S O C I A T E D

C O L L E G E S

O F T H E S O U T H

http://www.caorc.org

http://www.colleges.org/chinese/index.html

1975 Century Boulevard, Suite 10, Atlanta, GA 30345 • (404) 636-9533 • Fax: (404) 636-9558 • Web: www.colleges.org2

Associated Colleges of the South 1975 Century Boulevard, Suite 10Atlanta, GA 30345Phone: (404) 636-9533Fax: (404) 636-9558E-Mail: [email protected]: www.colleges.org

ACS Member Institutions Birmingham-Southern CollegeCentenary College of LouisianaCentre CollegeDavidson CollegeFurman UniversityHendrix CollegeMillsaps CollegeMorehouse CollegeRhodes CollegeRollins CollegeSewanee: The University of the SouthSouthwestern UniversitySpelman CollegeTrinity UniversityUniversity of RichmondWashington and Lee University

ACS Staff Wayne Anderson, [email protected]

Dara Hawkins, Office [email protected]

Elizabeth MacNabb, Director Environmental Programs [email protected]

Cindy Reese, Director Financial Operations [email protected]

Marcia White, Director Program Development [email protected]

Christiane Williams, Technology Support Specialist & Web Manager [email protected]

Jinping Zhu, Director Chinese Programs [email protected]

Continued from page 1

College, “Developing an Experiential, Multidisciplinary Course: The Chinese American Experience”

Vivian Shen, Chinese, Davidson 9. College, “Shanghai Modernity”

Sean O’Rourke, English, Margaret 10. Oakes, English, Furman University, “Engaging the Humanities”

Nicholas Radel, Women’s and 11. Gender Studies, Furman University, “Developing a Gender Oriented Strategic Plan for Women’s and Gender Studies at Furman”

Kimberly Burke and Susan Taylor, 12. Else School of Management, Millsaps College, “Teaching Effectiveness Seminar”

Benjamin Broening, Music, 13. University of Richmond, Daniel Koppelman, Music, Furman University, “Nocturnes: Composing, Performing and Recording with Technology”

Richard James, Computer Science, 14. Sigmund Rothschild, Music, Rollins College, “Interdisciplinary Music Technology”

Dawn Roe, Art History; Jennifer 15. Queen, Psychology, Rollins College, “The Photograph as Language: Developing Communicative Methods of Camera Use for People with Aphasia (PWA)”

Mark Bottoroff, Physics, Michael 16. Kamen, Education, Southwestern University; David Moffet, Henry Keith, Ellen Hard Townes, Physics, Furman University; Ann Wright, Physics, Hendrix College; D. T. Durig, Chemistry, University of the South; David Hough, Physics and Astronomy, Trinity University, “Student Observation Driven Astronomy Across the ACS”

Alisa Gaunder, Political Science, 17. Southwestern University, “Barriers Facing Female Candidates Running for National Office in Japan”

Fay Guarraci, Psychology; Maha 18. Foote, Chemistry, Southwestern University, “Crossing Boundaries: Psychology meets Biochemistry”

Gulnar Rawji, Chemistry and 19. Biochemistry, Southwestern University, “Integration of Research into Teaching Laboratory For Inorganic Chemistry”

Marcia France, Chemistry, 20. Washington and Lee University, “Research at the University of St. Andrews: Preparation of Chiral Ligands for Asymmetric Catalysis”

Mark Rush, Politics, Washington 21. and Lee University, “Development and Expansion of GIS Skills for Teaching and Research”

See page 4 for next round of grants.

Faculty Renewal Grants Awarded

Upcoming ACS EventsMay 19-20, 2009 ACS Council of Deans’ Meeting

Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia

June 1-6, 2009 Summer Teaching and Learning WorkshopRollins College, Winter Park, Florida

June 10-11, 2009 ACS Board of DirectorsEmory Conference Center, Atlanta, Georgia

July 13-18, 2009 Inquiry-Based Learning WorkshopAustin, Texas

September 11-12, 2009 Environmental Workshop Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina

September 17-18, 2009 Multicultural Directors/Diversity Officers Centenary College, Shreveport, Louisiana

September 21-22, 2009 ACS Council of Deans’ Meeting Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia

December 6-8, 2009 Senior Student Affairs Officers MeetingHendrix College, Conway, Arkansas

1975 Century Boulevard, Suite 10, Atlanta, GA 30345 • (404) 636-9533 • Fax: (404) 636-9558 • Web: www.colleges.org 3

I want to offer a special tribute to our ACS member institu-tions for the way they have confronted the current eco-

nomic crisis in the country. They have responded head-on to a crisis that has taken its toll particularly in terms of significant reductions in endowment. In the face of this challenge, tough decisions have been made on salaries, benefits, searches, building plans and other expense items. Clearly, these have been very difficult decisions for the institutions.

Also impressive has been the widespread sharing of information on the campuses, thereby enabling the campus community to understand the nature and ramifications of the financial crisis and offer observations and commentary. A further adjustment has been particularly noteworthy, namely, a strong commitment to financial aid, meaning that students whose families are hard hit by the recession will not be denied an opportunity to attend stellar institutions like those in the ACS. The institutions have done what is neces-

sary to continue to attract and retain students who can benefit so significantly from the extraordinary liberal arts experience on our campuses.

Meanwhile, our institutions are shoring up and enhanc-ing certain programs in which they have a distinctive and strategic advantage. For example, they are actively recruit-ing extremely capable new faculty to their campuses.

Finally, while complimenting our institutions on how resolute, determined and creative they are, I want to underscore their optimism about the future. As they deal with these acute problems, and forge appropriate and imaginative solutions, they feel that they will emerge from the situation stronger than ever. As many of the ACS presidents have said, this is indeed a very severe crisis, but it is not a crisis that will be wasted.

Wayne Anderson

Special Tribute

Centenary College President Kenneth L. Schwab has

announced that he will retire as president, effective June 30, 2009. Schwab was appointed the 28th president of the College in 1991. He is also a tenured professor at Centenary. “It really is with mixed emotions that I make this announcement,” said Schwab. “The 18 years I have served as president of this grand old institution have been extremely rewarding. We can be proud of our many accomplishments over these years. My love for my Centenary friends will always remain deep and strong.” President Schwab will serve until a new president has been named, at which time he will be on a sabbatical before he returns to the College as a faculty member.

President Frances Lucas has an-nounced that she will be leaving the

presidency at Millsaps College on June 30, 2010, at the conclusion of her tenth

year in the position. In saluting president Lucas for her achievements as the tenth president at Millsaps, Maurice Hall, chairman of the Millsaps College board of trustees, observed that Dr. Lucas “has led Millsaps through a decade filled with challenges ranging from the tragedy of September 11, 2001, through the suffering and recovery from Hurricane Katrina and through the greatest economic crisis of our times.” She also led Millsaps through its largest capital campaign, the Legacy Campaign that has raised $110 million. Mr. Hall paid tribute to Dr. Lucas for her leadership as the college has become recognized as “one of the best in the nation for developing compassionate and principled leaders and citizens for a global society.”

Vice Chancellor and President Joel Cunningham has an-

nounced his plans to retire in June 2010. During his tenure, Sewanee

has enjoyed record applications to the College, growth in the influence and reach of the School of Theology, and increased recognition as a leading national liberal arts university. The Sewanee Call fundraising campaign reached a record-breaking total last June of over $205.7 million in gifts and commitments.

Trinity University President John R. Brazil has announced his retire-

ment, effective January 2010. Brazil became Trinity’s 17th president in June 1999. His leadership has brought about

a number of initiatives that have built on the University’s considerable strengths and accomplishments, including an historic $200 million capital campaign, which is nearing its conclusion with $191.6 million in gifts and pledges to date, and will help to sustain Trinity’s future.

Presidential Announcements


Program DevelopmentNext Round of Faculty Renewal Grants

ACS continues to offer grants in faculty and institutional renewal, supported by a grant from The Andrew W.

Mellon Foundation. The ACS Faculty Renewal Alliance invites faculty from all ACS institutions to submit proposals.

The next round of pre-proposals will be due October 1, 2009. Those asked to submit full proposals must do so by January 15, 2010. Grants are available in these four catego-ries: Program Development, Leadership Development, Personal Growth and Mentoring. For information on the next round of grants or any other aspect of the program, please contact Marcia White at [email protected].

Go to http://www.colleges.org/faculty_renewal/index.html for guidelines, project examples and grants awarded in all rounds to date.

Aims of the grant provided by the Mellon Foundation include the following:

Make available opportunities for faculty to prepare for •leadership and decision making roles on the campusProvide opportunities for faculty to become more effective •teachers through specific faculty renewal experiencesProvide opportunities for personal development, with •particular attention to preparation for retirement and making retirement a fruitful and productive experience

Eighth Biennial ACS Women’s and Gender Studies Conference - By Marcia White

Over 125 faculty and students gathered for the Eighth Biennial Gender Studies and Women’s Studies Confer-

ence at Rhodes College March 6 and 7. They represented 11 ACS and 17 non-ACS institutions including international presenters from universities in the United Kingdom and France. Plenary sessions, focused panels, artwork and enter-tainment were blended to present the conference theme, “The Personal is Still Political: Gendered Identities in the Twenty-first Century.” The conference focused on the historical trajectory of feminist theory and activism as well as contemporary assessment of the field. The conference’s goal to reinvigorate a conversation about the enduring structural and institutional effects of gender was certainly met.

Undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty presented original papers grouped into categories such as “Global Perspectives on Women and Politics,” “Science Fiction and Gender,” “Visual Culture and Gender,” “Masculine Privilege,” “International Issues from World War II to the Present,” “How to Put Gender in Women’s and Gender Studies,” “The Gendering of University Life” and “The

Gendering of Popular Culture.” There were many other categories as well. The presentations were fresh, thorough, stimulating and engaging.

The keynote speaker was Angela Davis, Professor of History and Feminist Studies at the University of California at Santa Cruz. Dr. Davis, author of eight books, has been deeply involved in our nation’s quest for social justice. Her work as an educator – both at the university level and in the larger public sphere – has always emphasized the impor-tance of building communities for economic, racial, and gender equality. Her talk was informative, impassioned and geared directly to the conference theme. It was open to conference participants, the Rhodes College faculty and students, as well as to the Memphis community. A 450-seat auditorium was filled with intent listeners excited to be a part of this experience.

After another day of fascinating sessions broken up by a theatrical presentation from Rhodes students, the conference ended with a Memphis-style barbeque complete with an authentic live blues band. The conference seemed to end quickly, leaving all anticipating the Ninth Biennial Women and Gender Studies Conference in 2011.

Faculty, students and staff participants at the Women’s and Gender Studies Conference

Professor Angela Davis (2nd from left) surrounded by members of the planning committee from Rhodes College.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.colleges.org/faculty_renewal/index.html


According to a recent study, the majority of the world’s 150 largest companies employ a sustainability officer

ranked at vice president or higher. Following this trend, numerous MBA programs have incor porated sustainability training into the curriculum. Addition ally, more than 80 American colleges and universities support a full-time sustainability officer (for more information on this topic, please see http://www.aashe.org/resources/position_sur-veys.php). Four ACS institutions currently employ sustain-ability officers: Davidson, Furman, Richmond, and Washing-ton & Lee.

Broadly defined, a sustainability officer is a professional who directs the “green ing” of an institution or business. Within higher education, the sustainability officer’s duties vary according to where the position is housed. Three out of four ACS institutions locate the sustainability professional within facilities ser vices, while the fourth reports to the academic dean’s office. In the former case, duties could include supervising and advising on issues of energy efficiency and manage ment; recycling and waste reduction; building construction; green purchasing; dining; transporta-tion; and environmental health and safety. When working from the dean’s office, a sustainability officer might act as a clearinghouse for green activities throughout the campus; work with students; conduct community outreach; perform data collection, reporting, and research; and/or supervise curricular issues.

As part of our ongoing series on sustainability officers, Palladian would like to introduce readers to Furman’s new director of the Center for Sustainability: associate professor Angela Halfacre. In future issues, we will profile other campuses’ sustainability offi cers: Chris Wise, WLU’s environmental management coordinator; Kealy Devoy, a

recent graduate of Davidson who has a two-year sustain-ability fellow position with the college; and UR’s new sustainability officer, Trey McDonald. In addition, these officers have been invited to speak at ACS’s September 2009 conference.

Professor Halfacre, who joined Furman’s faculty last summer, teaches one course per year in political science. While she meets with the director of facilities on a regular basis, Halfacre reports to the provost. A 1992 Furman graduate, Halfacre oversees and directs all functions of the Center for Sustainability, including instructional develop-ment and technologies, faculty development, curricular research and development, communications and collabora-tive learning. Her primary role is to work on curricular and co-curricular sustainability collaborations, to develop campus and public education campaigns, and to provide vision and leadership for the strategic development and coordination of resources and ser vices at the Center for Sustainability. (Furman is also currently advertising for an assistant director who will assist Halfacre with programs and events.) Halfacre’s typical day might include teaching in the morning; drafting a grant proposal for collaborative sustain ability research; and meetings with 1) the board of a local environmental nonprofit group, 2) the provost, 3) sustain ability work study students, 4) a student doing research, 5) the Sustainability Fellow Scholarship commit-tee, and 6) a collaborator at another institution (via tele-phone). She regularly works with faculty and staff on Fur man’s President’s Council, in the Grants Office, and in the Development Office, and serves as the implementation liaison for the American Colleges and Universities Presi-dents Climate Commitment.

A fountain of energy, Halfacre serves as a sustainability ambassador for Furman in the local Greenville and upstate South Carolina community, and supervises James Wilkins, Furman’s environmental associate, and Sandy Bryan, administrative coordinator for the office. Halfacre works closely with professor Frank Powell, Furman’s environmen-tal liaison for green building, renewable energy, and the LEED-certified Cliffs Cottage, which will soon house the Center for Sustainability. For more information about Halfacre and sustainability at Furman, please go to www.furman.edu/sustain.

Environmental ProgramsFurman’s Halfacre one of four Sustainability Officers at ACS campuses - By Elizabeth MacNabb

Angela Halfacre, Director of the Center for Sustainability Photo by Jeremy Fleming, Furman University

http://www.aashe.org/resources/position_surveys.php

http://www.aashe.org/resources/position_surveys.php

http://www.furman.edu/sustain

http://www.furman.edu/sustain


International Programs

ACS Representatives Visit Chinese Universities

Eleven ACS representatives traveled to China in March to explore partnerships with Chinese universities – and

the group concluded that many of the institutions visited could work as effective partners with individual ACS institutions or with the consortium as a whole. Such partnerships could involve faculty exchanges, joint faculty research projects, student exchanges, opportunities for graduates of ACS institutions to teach English in China, joint conferences and other activities. The Americans and their counterparts also discussed whether the Chinese institutions could provide teachers of Chinese – perhaps their graduate students – under an arrangement in which ACS would send students or faculty to China.

The ACS participants felt that these possibilities were promising for ACS institutions, to be carried out individually or consortium-wide – with particular interest in developing a set of programs through the consortium.

In visits to institutions in Suzhou and Shanghai, the ACS representatives described their institutions, the nature of their China programs and the kinds of cooperative arrangements they would like to make. Their Chinese counterparts described their institutions and ways in which they might work with ACS and its member institutions.

Three members of the team also went to Beijing, with a highlight of that visit being a meeting with the director general of the Confucius Institutes, a Chinese government-sponsored initiative with 326 institutes around the world. The representatives from ACS and Heilongjiang University expressed their interest in working together to establish one of these institutes in our region – with the institutes providing Chinese language teachers, among other services.

ACS delegation with Ms. Alys Spensley (4th from left), Cultural Affairs Officer of U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai Photo by Zhengbin Lu, professor of Chinese Studies, Spelman College

Institutional representatives on the trip, which was funded by a grant from the U.S. State Department for institutions without substantial partners on the Chinese mainland, were:

Wayne Shew, Interim Provost and Professor of Biology, •Birmingham-Southern CollegeLarry Jones, Associate Dean of the College for Student •Affairs and Professor of Biology, Sewanee, the University of the SouthLeslie Marsicano, Assistant Dean for Academic •Administration, Davidson CollegeGeorge Bey, Associate Dean of International Education •and Professor of Anthropology, Millsaps CollegeApril Valentine, Director of Intercultural Affairs, Centenary •College of LouisianaSteve Beaudoin, Chair of History and Gender Studies •Programs and Associate Professor of History, Centre CollegeZhengbin Lu, Assistant Professor of Chinese Studies, •Spelman CollegeShufen Yang, Assistant Professor of Chinese, Morehouse •CollegeJie Zhang, Assistant Professor of Chinese, Trinity •University.For further information on the trip or the ongoing discus-

sions about potential Chinese partnerships, please contact Jinping Zhu at [email protected].

ACS representatives in China Photo by Jinping Zhu, ACS



International Programs

The consortium held its First Student Research Conference on Chinese Studies at Morehouse College on April 17-18,

2009. Entitled “China in Transition, Past and Present,” the Conference consisted of six panels including History, Law and Culture in Late Imperial China; Youth Culture in Contem-porary China; the Politics of Representation: Gender, Cultural Identity, and Film; the Traffic of Theory: Feminism, Marxism, and Nationalism; Cultural and Political Relations among China, Tibet, and the United States; and Religious, Environ-mental and Political Change in Contemporary China. Twenty-four undergraduates representing 10 ACS institutions partici-pated and presented their original research via oral presentations and posters.

The conference started off with a keynote speech on the rise of China from economic, political, and social perspectives by Rong Cai, Associate Professor of Chinese Studies at Emory University. She emphasized that China has been widely regarded as the potentially biggest global market in the 21st century and that doing research on Chinese Studies can provide students an experience through which they can immerse themselves thoroughly in a different culture. Profes-sor Cai is widely recognized for her research in cultural studies, such as gender, cinematic representations, media practice and popular culture.

A Best Paper Award of a $100 gift card from Barnes and Noble was presented at the Conference to Lindsey Waldrop from Southwestern University. Her paper focuses on Dong Qichang’s “Qingbian Mountains” and its place in Chinese art history. In the paper, she seeks to discover what influences are present in this painting, as well as their inherent signifi-cance. In addition, she explores the relationship between this painting and Dong’s relationship with late Ming society, politics and culture.

Jie Zhang, a professor of Chinese Studies at Trinity University, was very impressed by the conference: “I was so

glad to see such exceptionally high quality papers and presentations. This conference was truly useful and informa-tive.” David Pandich, an undergraduate student at Rollins College, thanked ACS for “providing this opportunity to meet with other young people of similar interest. It is moments such as these which enable us to recognize our own contri-butions to academia.”

Special thanks go to the following panel chairs: Mathew Levey, Birmingham-Southern College; Jay McDaniel, Hendrix College; Jie Zhang, Trinity University; Shufen Yang, More-house College; Charles Meadows, Morehouse College; and Zhengbin Lu, Spelman College.

Morehouse College Hosts First ACS Student Research Conference on Chinese Studies

Participants at the Student Research Conference on Chinese Studies at Morehouse CollegePhoto by Jinping Zhu, ACS

Professor Mathew Levey from Birmingham-Southern College presented the Best Paper Award to Lindsey Waldrop, a student at Southwestern University. Photo by Jinping Zhu, ACS

ACS China Committee Plans Second Faculty Conference

The consortial program committee for China is planning its second faculty conference on Chinese Studies to

be held at Spelman College in Atlanta on October 16-17, 2009. ACS faculty teaching Chinese language and other facets of China are invited to attend. The conference will review the ACS China initiatives, focus on incorporating Chinese Studies into the curriculum, discuss and demon-strate how to apply technology to language and non-lan-guage teaching, as well as identify collaborative possibili-ties for the future.

Thanks to the Henry Luce Foundation, funding will be provided for two faculty members from each ACS institu-tion. Other faculty are invited to attend at institutional expense. Information may be obtained from Jinping Zhu at [email protected].



NITLE Offers Professional Development Workshops

NITLE will offer the following upcoming professional development workshops for faculty and staff:

Multimedia Narrative: Communicating with Stories, May •18 - 19, 2009, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, ORDigital Teaching: Introduction to Teaching with Technology •in Liberal Education, May 19, 2009, University of the Cumberlands, Williamsburg, KYPedagogical Implications of Wireless and Mobile •Technologies, May 27, 2009, Colby College, Waterville, MEUsing DSpace for Digital Repositories: an Information •Services Camp workshop, June 1, 2009, Smith College, Northampton, MADigital Repositories and DSpace User Community •Meeting: an Information Services Camp event, June 1 - 2, 2009, Smith College, Northampton, MAMoodle E-Portfolio Options: an Information Services Camp •workshop, June 1, 2009, Smith College, Northampton, MAMoodle User Community Meeting: an Information •Services Camp event, June 1 - 2, 2009, Smith College, Northampton, MALeveraging Multimedia Production Resources for •Maximum Result: an Information Services Camp workshop, June 2, 2009, Smith College, Northampton, MAProviding the Net Generation with Instant Multimedia: •an Information Services Camp workshop, June 2, 2009, Smith College, Northampton, MADelivering Online Services to Mobile Devices: an •Information Services Camp workshop, June 3, 2009, Smith College, Northampton, MAProject and Change Management for Information •Services: an Information Services Camp workshop, June 3, 2009, Smith College, Northampton, MA

Chinese Studies: Developing Communication through •Digital Technologies, June 3 - 5, 2009 Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, CAHazardous Intersections: Cross-Cultural and Media •Literacy through Digital Teaching, June 3 - 5, 2009 Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, CAFirst Year Seminars: Incorporating Technology, June 3 - 5, •2009, Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, CAProblem-solving with Data in Curricular Contexts, June •3 - 5, 2009, Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, CAEvaluating and Transitioning to Google Apps for •Education: an Information Services Camp workshop, June 4, 2009, Smith College, Northampton, MAThe Storm is Brewing • – Cloud Computing and Amazon Web Services: an Information Services Camp workshop, June 4, 2009, Smith College, Northampton, MASpecial Topics: Teaching Tools for the Global Age, June •11, 2009, Delivered online in NITLE MIV AuditoriumHow Can We Afford Data Warehousing? Decision Support •Systems for Tough Times, June 12, 2009, Delivered online in NITLE MIV AuditoriumInstructional Technologists: A Virtual Conference, August •19, 2009, Delivered online in NITLE MIV AuditoriumGeospatial Technologies in the Liberal Arts, September •25 - 27, 2009, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NYSpecial Topics: Teaching Tools for the Global Age, October •8, 2009, Delivered online in NITLE MIV Auditorium

Please visit http://www.nitle.org/www/events for more information on these offerings, including details on how to participate.

The National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education (NITLE)

Jo Ellen Parker will be leaving as Executive Director of NITLE on July 1, 2009 to become the president of

Sweet Briar College. She has led NITLE since 2004 and previously was president of the Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA). ACS pays special tribute to Dr. Parker for her outstanding leadership of NITLE and GLCA.

Alex Wirth-Cauchon, who was in charge of participant relations for NITLE, began the position of Director of Research and Instructional Support at Mount Holyoke College on March 16, 2009. ACS thanks him for effectively assisting so many ACS participants in NITLE workshops.

Michael Nanfito will lead NITLE’s participant relations effort going forward. He joined NITLE in 2006 from the University of Puget Sound, and since then has drawn on his library training and instructional technology experience and his commitment to the liberal arts to advance inter-institutional collaboration. He can be reached at [email protected] or 734-661-2309.

Changes at NITLE

http://www.nitle.org/www/events




ACS Member News

In conjunction with launching its unique Urban Environmental Studies major this fall, BSC is introducing two

new classes that approach U.S. environmental policies and environmental mapping. Beginning this fall, BSC students – regardless of major – who are interested in exploring the challenges of federal environmental legisla-tion and learning environmental mapping techniques can indulge their interest in “Environmental Problems and Policy,” and the first year foundations course “Babylonia to Redlands: Maps and our Environment.” Urban Environ-mental Studies Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Geography Ed Brands will teach both. The innovative “Environmental Problems and Policy” course provides a history and overview of major concepts and approaches to environmental policy in the U.S. through discussions, readings, videos, guest lectures and mapping exercises. Students will also learn to apply geographical information systems to environmental problems. The second course, “Babylonia to Redlands: Maps and our Environment,” introduces students to mapping in general and provides hands-on experience with electronic mapping software, which will allow them to explore and critically examine the history, uses and changing significance of mapping, particularly related to the environment.

The Centenary “First Destina-tion” Graduate Placement Survey for the class of 2008

shows that of the students responding, 42.5 percent were employed, while 48.5 percent are continuing their educa-tion, for a 91 percent placement rate. The survey also showed that 4.2 percent were taking time off while 4.8 percent were still seeking employment. Conducted by the College’s Office of Career Services, the annual survey attempts to document the post graduate outcomes of Centenary students who have received a bachelor’s degree, offering a snapshot of their progress during the initial transition out of college. This survey contacted 190 Centenary graduates from the class of 2008 and received 167 replies.

Centre College has received a be-quest of $16.4 million from the estate of Alfred M. and Mary Swain Wood of Dallas, Texas. Both Mr. and Mrs.

Wood were Kentucky natives. This generous estate gift will endow a scholarship that will be known as The Alfred M. and Mary Swain Wood Scholarship. Students who are enrolled full-time at Centre will be eligible for the scholar-ship and will be chosen on the basis of financial need, scholarship and character.

Every summer, when Davidson College senior Andrew Lovedale returns to his home-

town of Benin City, Nigeria, he packs his suitcases with dozens of “gently used” Davidson basketball shoes and jerseys to distribute to children and teens in the area where he lives. When he returns to Benin City after graduation this May, the political science major and star basketball forward will be taking 10,500 pairs of shoes with him. The shoes were collected in Kicks from ’Cats—the Andrew Lovedale Shoe Drive, held at a recent basket-ball game. Fans attending the game also contributed rally towels, jerseys, basketballs and other gear, as well as thousands of dollars to help cover the cost of shipping the shoes. Lovedale, a 23-year-old political science major, has been nominated for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, which recognizes student-athletes for great achievement during competition and in their community while staying in school. “I am very lucky,” Lovedale told USA Today last fall. “I go home and see guys who jump higher than me and run faster. I don’t know why God picked me. But whatever way we can help them out, we try.”Basketball fans aren’t the only ones taking increased note of Davidson these days. About 20,000 people involved in the field of student services are looking at the top of their professional organization charts and wondering, “What’s going on at Davidson?!” That’s because Davidsonians Tom Shandley and Patty Perillo are currently leading the two major student services organizations worldwide: the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) and National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). Shandley, Davidson’s vice president of student life and dean of students for the past 15 years, is NASPA Vice President for Region III, its largest in both size and membership. Perillo, who joined the Davidson staff 18 months ago as associate dean for residence life and Patterson Court, is national president of the 10,500-mem-ber ACPA.

The College hosted a Leadership, Service and Diversity Days open house on campus in January. The College welcomed all prospective students who are considered service and/or diversity leaders in their high school and local community. Attendees had the opportunity to actively engage in community service and participate in Centre’s celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. During the open house, Centre students connected with local high school students, as well as prospective students, through community service activities that focused on positive change in honor of Dr. King.


ACS Member News

Continued on page 11

Furman University has received the Creative Partner-

ship Award from District III of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) in recognition of the unique partnership that led to the construction of the Cliffs Cottage on campus. The Cliffs Cottage, Southern Living’s first “green” Showcase Home, is a model of environmen-tally responsible design, sustainable building materials and energy-saving systems. The house was completed in June of 2008 and is currently open to the public for tours. From the bamboo flooring to the solar panels in the roof, the 3,400-square-foot Cliffs Cottage has the latest technologi-cal innovations in sustainable living. The home will remain open through the summer of 2009 and then be retrofitted as the University’s Center for Sustainability, which will provide office and meeting space for the sustainability initiatives. In addition to Furman, the principal partners in the project are Southern Living, The Cliffs Communities, Duke Energy and Bank of America. The CASE award recognizes the “partnership projects between private businesses/organizations and educational institutions that result in creative solutions to advancement issues.”

Furman also received a pair of 2008 InnoVision Technology Awards in November. The InnoVision Technology Awards program was founded in 1999 by Deloitte LLP. The Depart-ment of Classics received the Hall of Fame Award, which is given for an extraordinary accomplishment in innovation and the development or application of technology in any category. The award recognized the work of classics professor Christopher Blackwell, who helped make three ancient manuscripts of Homer’s Iliad available digitally for students and scholars to study online. The chemistry department received the Innovation in Education Award for developing a high quality e-textbook for a bio-organic chemistry course in which no textbook existed. Professors Brian Goess and Greg Springsteen created a platform through which students could write, referee and modify an e-textbook with as little faculty input as possible.

Hendrix College has awarded more than $71,000 in Odyssey Grants to students and faculty for experiential learning projects. The grants will allow

Hendrix students to introduce the community to a garden in the heart of campus, present innovative research at outstanding international conferences, assist with the birth of lambs, explore Roman Catholic architecture in Italy, and make a difference in the lives of local children, along with numerous other projects. In the Fall 2008 funding cycle, the Committee on Experiential Learning (CEL) awarded Odyssey Grants totaling $71,710 to 24 projects. This cycle

broke the previous fall records in both the number of requests and the dollar amount sought. Since the Odyssey Program’s inception in the fall of 2005, the CEL has awarded more than $978,000 to support student and faculty projects.

First-year and senior students at Millsaps College are highly engaged in their education, academically chal-lenged and enjoy strong student-faculty

interactions, according to the 2008 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The national survey provides feedback on the challenge of academics, active and collaborative learning, student-faculty interaction, enriching educational experiences and supportive campus environment. The recently released survey results showed Millsaps students care about their education and felt faculty members set high expectations for student perfor-mance, said Richard Smith, senior vice president and dean of the college. “Students learn more when they are intensely involved in their education and asked to think about what they are learning in different settings,” Smith said. “The NSSE survey is further proof that Millsaps is an elite, rigorous institution in a caring, nurturing environ-ment.” Responses from 260 randomly selected Millsaps students show 99 percent of freshman and 98 percent of seniors report that their overall education experiences were good or excellent, 95 percent of first-year students feel that the college places a substantial emphasis on academics and by their senior year 68 percent of students have participated in some form of internship, field experi-ence or clinical assignment.

In preparing its Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) as part of the accredita-tion process, Morehouse College has formulated a QEP focused on interna-

tionalization. Professor Ron Sheehy, chair of the College’s QEP Committee, said faculty, staff and administrators found that the theme of Enhancing the Global Competence of Morehouse Students perfectly fits Morehouse’s plans for the future. “Morehouse seeks to realize more fully its historic mission and audacious vision of improving global conditions by educating student-leaders who will make a difference,” he said. “President Robert Michael Franklin Jr. ’75 has articulated the College’s collective commitment to the revitalization of this historic vision in these words: ‘Morehouse will become a global resource for educated and ethical leaders.’”To implement that vision, the College is embarking on a five-year comprehensive internationalization process to accomplish three goals: develop broad-based knowledge of global issues in all disciplines, including general educa-


ACS Member NewsContinued from page 10

tion; provide experiences that will enhance the under-standing of other cultures and nations; and develop the attitudes and values that will enable Morehouse students to lead the nation and the world. The College will make global issues a part of every course on campus. New programs focusing on internationalization also will be added, including:

The Morehouse International Research Mini-Grant •Program, which will offer grants to faculty to encourage research in international affairs. Activities at the W.E.B.DuBois International House •Center that will facilitate exchanges between international and U.S. students, adding language submersion programs and evening and weekend English as a second language programs. New exchange programs that have been established by •the Andrew Young Center with institutions in Tanzania, England and France.

Rhodes College has been named to the 2008 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction. This honor recognizes

Rhodes’ leadership in helping to build a culture of service and civic engagement on campuses and in America’s communities. In all, 635 schools are listed on the third annual Honor Roll with 83 noted for distinction. “I am extremely pleased that community service at Rhodes has received this recognition,” says Rhodes President William E. Troutt. “It reinforces both the commitment of our stu-dents engaged in significant community service as well as our curriculum that recognizes the synergistic relationship between classroom learning and learning beyond our gates.” Honorees were chosen based on factors including scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses. “In this time of economic distress, we need volunteers more than ever; college students represent an enormous pool of idealism and energy to help tackle some of our toughest challenges,” said Stephen Goldsmith, vice chair of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees the Honor Roll in collaboration with the Depart-ment of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.

For the last three years, Rollins College professors have been given opportuni-ties to travel all over the world

to see other countries and experience other cultures through the President’s Internationalization Initiative, which

This summer, the Sewanee Environmental Institute (SEI) will launch its Pre-College Field Studies Experience for

high school juniors and seniors. The Experience is a two-week outdoor program for talented students who are passionate about the outdoors and interested in advancing their knowledge and skills in the study of the environment. Led by full-time University faculty and utilizing Sewanee’s ecologically diverse 13,000-acre campus, the program will provide an interdisciplinary introduction to environmental studies featuring ecology, botany, zoology, geology, archaeology, conservation policy and environmental ethics. The program will take place from June 28 to July 11, 2009.

As a junior in high school, Southwestern University sophomore

Gillian Graham created a program to teach pre-school and elementary school students in her hometown of San Antonio about healthy eating habits. With Southwestern’s support, Graham has now expanded her Rainbow Foods Program. “The main idea of the program is to eat your colors everyday,” Graham said. “It is good to start at a young age since it is hard to change your practices when you are older.” With the help of Suzy Pukys, director of civic engagement, Graham is now working with the Taylor Independent School District in their after-school program. Once a week, she holds a Rainbow Foods class where students are taught how to put meals together at home. “The main goal is to create habits for a longer, healthier life,” said Graham. With the help of a McMichael Fund grant from Southwestern, she will be able to make addi-tional materials, such as at-home kits with a DVD and audio materials that students could use with their parents.

strives to enable every faculty member to have an interna-tional experience at least once every three years. “To truly provide a global education for students, you must first internationalize the faculty,” said Rollins President Lewis Duncan. The first international trip of this initiative was to China in May 2006. Since then, a total of 128 faculty and teaching staff (about two-thirds of those eligible) have used the $3,600 grants to conduct individual research projects or to travel internationally with faculty-led groups to destina-tions including China, Ecuador and Tanzania. Many faculty report “transformative” effects on their research and their lives. And internationalization has impacted the students in many ways including a 53 percent increase in the number of students who study abroad.


ACS Member News

Associated Colleges of the South

Operation HOPE, America’s leading financial literacy nonprofit, began a wave of change in January, starting at Spelman College, that is aimed at changing the financial outlook of generations of minorities. As the result of a joint effort between the White House and Operation HOPE, students at participating historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) across the United States will have

the opportunity to take part in the Banking on Our Future – College Edition (BOOF – CE) financial education program. Designed for college-level students, the BOOF - CE program will be offered to entering freshman and departing seniors this academic year through the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement at Spelman, and nine additional HBCUs. The program, offered through a series of workshops, will focus on teaching students how to budget during a recession by helping them develop positive and healthy attitudes and beliefs about money, and learning how to handle many of the social pressures associated with spending. Students will also learn basic personal finance skills, including lessons on setting and attaining personal finance goals, as well as receiving important lessons on credit, loans and investing. “At Spelman College we understand that leadership develop-ment must include financial literacy,” said President Beverly Daniel Tatum. “The opportunity to work with Operation HOPE through our Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement is an exciting one which will benefit our students greatly, and we are proud to be leading the way for other HBCUs with this new partnership.”

Astronomers at Trinity University will join their counterparts around the globe in celebrating 2009 as the Inter-national Year of Astronomy. It will be a time to recognize the work by

Galileo 400 years ago as a dominant scientist of his time and advancements made since then in the scientific study of the universe. Public viewing sessions using Trinity’s rooftop telescopes are planned and faculty from the department of physics and astronomy will present lectures of interest to amateur stargazers and scientists alike. David Hough, professor and chair of physics and astrono-my, said the year-long, worldwide observances also provide an opportunity to showcase the program at Trinity.

The Institute of International Education has ranked University of Richmond 14th on its list of the top 40 baccalaureate institutions enroll-ing international students in 2007-08. The list, published in the organization’s Open Doors report, also ranked the University fifth for

mid-length undergraduate study-abroad participation in programs usually lasting a semester, and 11th for under-graduate participation in short-term, summer study-abroad programs or programs during the academic year lasting less than eight weeks. Last year, Richmond ranked 16th for number of enrolled international students and ninth and 10th for mid-length and short-term study-abroad participa-tion, respectively. Krittika Onsanit, director of international student scholar and internship services at the University, said the increase in international student enrollment is evidence of Richmond’s ability to attract more students from around the world by increasing its student exchange partnerships with universities abroad. The improved rankings in the Open Doors report and recognition by Newsweek last year as the hottest college in the nation for international studies are indications of a strong program, said Uliana Gabara, dean of international education. “We have well over 50 partnerships with universities around the world,” she said. “We are preparing both American and international students to successfully compete and lead in a global economy.”

Washington and Lee has created the Community Grants Committee, a formal structure

for evaluating requests for support that come in from the Lexington/Rockbridge community. “Establishing the Com-munity Grants Committee is a reflection of the University’s ongoing commitment to a partnership with the local com-munity,” said Steve McAllister, vice president for finance and administration and University treasurer. “Through the process, we will help ensure a closer match between the community and University interests.” In the first round of evaluations, the committee reviewed 22 proposals for a combined $204,945 in requests from 21 organizations. The committee approved $25,000 worth of grants in the initial round. Ten organizations received grants averaging $2,500. “This program builds upon the mutual partnership between the University and the Lexington and Rockbridge County communities,” said President Ken Ruscio. “Washington and Lee has long recognized that the strengths of the commu-nity and the University go hand in hand.”

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