Periodicals Postage is PAID in Athens, Georgia
News Service University of Georgia 286 Oconee Street Suite 200 North Athens, GA 30602-1999
®
Faculty, staff, students, alumni pitch their ideas March 18 at TEDxUGA CAMPUS NEWS
7
The University of Georgia Spring Dance Concert to be held April 7-10 in New Dance Theatre
Vol. 43, No. 31
April 4, 2016
www.columns.uga.edu
schupska@uga.edu
Andrew Davis Tucker
Advisors in the university’s new Exploratory Center, which will open this fall, will guide students through a structured process to help them find the major that’s right for them sooner.
Major support
UGA to create one-stop advising center, offer more personalized advising sfahmy@uga.edu
UGA is giving students an unrivaled level of advising support to ensure that they receive personalized guidance that is tailored to their aspirations from the moment they step onto campus. The university has hired 35 new advisors over the past two years, is investing in the latest digital tools and—in fall 2016—will open a facility at the heart of campus to support students who are undecided about their major. “We’re stepping up the quality of advising at UGA because—to put it simply—better advising results in greater success for our students,” said Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Pamela Whitten. “Advisors play a central role in helping keep students on
4&5
Social work dean will give graduate Commencement talk By Stephanie Schupska
By Sam Fahmy
UGA GUIDE
track for graduation and ensuring that their learning experiences are aligned with their career aspirations.” When it launches in fall 2016 on the first floor of the Tate Student Center, UGA’s Exploratory Center will house advising support for undecided students as well as for pre-business and pre-journalism and mass communication students. Future plans call for the Exploratory Center to house advising services for pre-med, pre-law and transfer students. Rahul Shrivastav, UGA’s vice president for instruction, noted that nearly 70 percent of students at UGA change majors at least once during their undergraduate career. As the result of a change in major, students often have accrued credit hours that don’t count toward the graduation requirements of their
ultimate major. These additional credit hours increase the time that it takes for students to earn their degrees and, by extension, the cost of a college education. “The advisors in our Exploratory Center will be guiding students through a structured, thoughtful process that begins with the big-picture question of what students want to do after graduation,” Shrivastav said. “Students will find the major that’s right for them and will save time and money by getting into that major sooner.” Shrivastav notes that the Exploratory Center and many of the other changes to advising at UGA were shaped by the input of the Office of the Vice President for Instruction’s 14-member student advisory board. “Choosing a major is a big See ADVISING on page 8
OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
Graduate students receiving their degrees from UGA this spring will have the opportunity to gather wisdom from academic leader and civil rights historian Maurice C. Daniels, dean of the School of Social Work, who will give the graduate Commencement address May 13 in Stegeman Coliseum. Daniels is crossing his own stage this summer as he shifts his focus from directing the School of Social Work to devoting more time to research—in particular his studies on the civil rights movement and his work with the Foot Soldier Project for Civil Rights Studies, which he co-founded in 1999 and now directs. “Dr. Daniels has raised the profile of the School of Social Work in numerous ways during his tenure as dean, and we applaud all that
he has done to further social work education and civil rights research at the University of Georgia,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “I Maurice Daniels very much look forward to his remarks.” As dean of the School of Social Work, Daniels advanced interdisciplinary scholarship and social justice through the development of new degrees, endowed professorships and a research center. During his tenure, the school created dual Master of Social Work degrees in law, public health and divinity—each one a first for the state of Georgia. He also promoted the endowment of two professorships:
See COMMENCEMENT on page 8
PUBLIC SERVICE AND OUTREACH
PSO to recognize faculty, staff at annual meeting, luncheon The Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach will recognize four faculty members and one staff member for outstanding service to the state and UGA at the 25th annual Public Service and Outreach Meeting and Awards Luncheon on April 11. Karen Payne, senior public service associate in the Carl Vinson Institute of Government’s Information Technology Outreach Services, will receive the Walter Barnard Hill Distinguished Public Service Fellow Award. UGA’s highest honor for public service and outreach, the award recognizes sustained, distinguished and superb achievement in university public service that improves quality of life. It is named for the chancellor
who led UGA from 1899 until his death in 1905. As the head of humanitarian programs at the Institute of Government, Payne uses geographic information systems and other spatial and information technologies to help organizations worldwide that are involved in humanitarian aid and disaster relief. Three faculty members and service professionals will receive the Walter Barnard Hill Award for Distinguished Achievement in Public Service and Outreach in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the improvement of the quality of life in Georgia and beyond. This year’s Hill Award recipients are Ellen Bauske,
See MEETING on page 8
SCHOOL OF LAW
New program prepares students for global careers Georgia state representative By Aaron Hale and Sarah Jenkins Special Collections Libraries on pipeline to the Peace Corps.” will give Edith House Lecture While the Peace Corps Prep aahale@uga.edu, sjenk27@uga.edu March 21. UGA and the Peace Corps have launched a new program aimed to prepare students interested in joining the Peace Corps or acquiring the skills and knowledge to have a great global impact. The new Peace Corps Prep Certificate is designed to prepare undergraduate students for the highly competitive federal program, said Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet, who spoke at the certificate launch at the Richard B. Russell Building
Hessler-Radelet talked about the unparalleled experience for Peace Corps volunteers. They work in a host country for two years striving at the grassroots level to develop sustainable solutions to challenges in education, health, economic development, agriculture, environment and youth development. “It is transformative for the volunteer and the community where the volunteer serves,” she said. This certificate program, Hessler-Radelet said, “builds a
Certificate doesn’t guarantee an applicant a slot in the program, it does guide students through classroom and experiential learning opportunities that prepare them both for serving in the Peace Corps and an international career, Hessler-Radelet said. Russell Mumper, UGA’s vice provost for academic affairs, said the certificate reinforces the university’s existing commitment to experiential learning and international education.
See PROGRAM on page 8
By Kelly Tran
lawprstu@uga.edu
Georgia state Rep. Stacey Godfrey Evans will present “The Voice of a Woman Lawyer: Why it Matters and How to Use it” at the UGA School of Law’s 34th Edith House Lecture April 18 at 3:30 p.m. in the school’s Hatton Lovejoy Courtroom. The event is free and open to the public. Evans serves parts of Cobb County in the Georgia House of Representatives. First elected
in 2010, she has successfully authored and passed legislation to restore cuts to the HOPE Grant program, which Stacey Godfrey has allowed Evans thousands of Georgians to pursue a higher education. In addition to her role as a state representative, she runs her
See LECTURE on page 8