February 11, 2004, Northern Today Abridged
Scarborough to begin three-part series
on ‘critical questions about teaching, learning’
Presidential Teaching Professor Jule Scarborough will begin a three-part seminar series Thursday on “Critical Questions about Our Teaching and Student Learning.”
Scarborough, a professor in the Department of Technology in the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, will speak from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Heritage Room of the Holmes Student Center.
The second and third installments take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 17, and Tuesday, April 13. All are invited, and no registration is necessary. Call 753-0595 for more information.
Scarborough’s presentation on “the exciting and courageous adventure of teaching” is part of the Presidential Teaching Professor Seminar Series sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Faculty Development and Instructional Technology Center.
“The goal, really, is to highlight the importance of teaching to the campus, and also to provide information to other teachers about effective teaching,” Vice Provost Earl “Gip” Seaver said. “These offer opportunities to faculty, staff and students to hear professors, whom have been identified by their peers as being among the best, talk about their interests, about teaching and about improving teaching.”
All PTP recipients agree to give lectures, Seaver said.
The NIU Presidential Teaching Professorships were established in 1991 to recognize and support faculty who excel in the practice of teaching. Recipients of this award have demonstrated over time their commitment to and success in the many activities associated with outstanding teaching.
Up to three such professorships are granted each year, providing budgetary support and release time for the enhancement of their teaching skills. Scarborough earned the distinction in 2002.
After four years, each is designated a Distinguished Teaching Professor.
“Teachers must be seekers of knowledge at heart, comfortable acknowledging what they do not know and seeking to engage in new initiatives that stretch their abilities,” said Scarborough, whose own willingness to do so keeps her excited about teaching. “I think every single class I’ve ever taught was a guinea pig class. I’m always trying new things; it keeps me motivated. If I’m learning along with my students, I stay challenged and interested.”
Scarborough began her career at NIU in 1981, teaching a variety of technical courses. She was the first to teach computer-aided design here and developed the automation lab at the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology.
Her current work is in leadership, management and international business.
She also has worked to reform math science and technology education at the secondary level in Illinois, leading a team that has secured more than $8 million in grants over the last 20 years to introduce new teaching experiences to teachers throughout the state.
Panelists to discuss ‘Being Black in DeKalb’
In honor of Black Heritage Month, the NIU Center for Black Studies and the DeKalb Interfaith Network for Peace & Justice are sponsoring “Being Black in DeKalb.”
The program takes place at 7 p.m. today in the Heritage Room of the Holmes Student Center. It offers a unique opportunity to learn first-hand what it’s like to be a member of a minority group in DeKalb. Students, faculty and community members will describe their experiences living here, and later address questions from the audience.
Campus food drive scheduled for Friday
Participate in the fourth annual campus food drive from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. Friday.
Simply bring canned goods on your way to work or class in the morning and drop them off in designated vans stationed in the parking lots listed below:
Campus Life Building
Field House
Parking Deck (both entrances)
Music/Art Building
Campus Child Care (drop off in lobby)
Human Resource Services (drop off in lobby)
Donations will go to various food pantries and agencies in the area, including Safe Passage, Hope Haven, Volunteer Action Center, Salvation Army, Sycamore Food Pantry and New Hope Baptist Church Food Pantry.
Suggested donations include gift cards (will be given directly to agencies), canned goods (tuna in water, beans, peanut butter, hash, stew, chicken, fruit, fruit juice, tomato sauce/paste, whole tomatoes, soup, jelly, vegetables), dry goods (unsweetened cereal, quick oatmeal, pasta, non-instant rice, hot chocolate, instant potatoes, macaroni and cheese, graham crackers, dried fruit or raisins, saltine crackers, Velveeta cheese, powdered milk, spaghetti or chili mix, pudding mix, coffee, tea bags, baby toiletries, disposable diapers in all sizes, Pull-Ups, powder laundry detergents, toiletries, toilet paper) and bulk sizes.
Volunteers are needed. If you are willing to volunteer or have any questions about the food drive, please contact Michelle Bringas, University Programming and Activities Office, at 753-1421 or via e-mail at mbringas@niu.edu.
The drive is sponsored by Student Affairs Staff Development Committee. Vans are donated by Student Housing & Dining Services, the Office of Campus Recreation and Transportation.
Academic Book Fair offers half-off savings on texts
University Bookstore will host an Academic Book Fair featuring 50 percent savings on more than 4,000 titles from academic publishers. The fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, and Wednesday, Feb. 18, at the bookstore in the Holmes Student Center. No additional discounts will apply.
SPS employees can learn how to prepare for evaluations
NIU’s Supportive Professional Staff employees can learn how to prepare for evaluations from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Feb. 18, in Room 306 of the Holmes Student Center. Presenters Deborah Haliczer of Human Resource Services and Debra Hopkins of CPA Review will provide the strategies and suggestions.
Call 753-6000 to register.
NIU Players Theatre welcomes Southern hostility
An unlikely sort of evil finds its way Thursday, Feb. 19, into the NIU School of Theatre and Dance. The devious Hubbard family of Lillian Helman’s acclaimed 1939 play, “The Little Foxes,” will take the stage at NIU’s Players Theatre and bring with them a torrent of treachery.
Set in the Deep South at the turn of the 20th century, the play centers on brothers Oscar and Ben Hubbard, their sister Regina, and their scheme to exploit the cheap labor of a poverty-stricken region still struggling in the wake of the Civil War.
In the 35-year period following the defeat of the Confederacy, industrialization is slowly supplanting the plantation aristocracy, chivalry and romanticism of the pre-War South. The Hubbards are just one of many greedy and malicious families who will do anything to make Big Money on the backs of mercilessly underpaid laborers.
“The Little Foxes” runs Feb. 19 through 22 and Feb. 25 through 29. Show times are 7:30 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Players Theatre is located on the second floor of the Stevens Building on the NIU campus. Call 753-1600 for tickets.
Workshop to address successful event planning
NIU employees who plan events or programs can find strategies for success at a workshop scheduled for 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, in Room 306 of the Holmes Student Center.
Presenters Carol Scheidenhelm, of the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center; Deborah Brue of the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology; Nora Clark, of Development and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Deborah Haliczer, of Human Resource Services, will emphasize planning, preparation, attention to details and awareness of participant needs.
Call 753-6000 to register.
MCTI proposals sought
The Office of the Provost and the Provost’s Task Force on Multicultural Curriculum transformation are pleased to announce NIU’s 10th annual Multicultural Curriculum Transformation Institute held May 11 to 19 at NIU.
Tenured and tenure-track faculty and Supportive Professional staff are invited to apply and participate in this intensive institute, designed to assist faculty and staff in incorporating multicultural perspectives and content into their courses, enrich their curricula and prepare our students for a diverse workplace and society.
Over the past nine summers, more than 130 NIU faculty members have received awards to participate in multicultural institutes and transform their courses.
Faculty members interested in participating in the full institute are encouraged to apply for Multicultural Curriculum Transformation Awards. The selected faculty each will receive $1,000 stipends to support specific curriculum transformation projects such as developing new courses or revising existing courses to address multicultural issues. Supportive Professional staff on 12-month contracts cannot receive the $1,000 award. Limited funds are available for these awards.
Application deadline is Friday, March 5.
For more information call task force chair LaVerne Gyant at 753-1423, send e-mail to mcti@niu.edu or check http://www3.niu.edu/mcti online.
NIU Wellness Fair to teach stroke avoidance
NIU’s Employee Wellness and Assistance Program will host a wellness fair Wednesday, March 24, on the main floor of the Holmes Student Center.
Life Line Screening, a leading provider of quality health screenings, conducts non-invasive and completely painless tests that quickly detect arterial abnormalities which can cause irregular blood flow.
Ninety appointments are available. Pre-registration is required. Call 1-800-407-4557 for registration, or call Karen Smith at 753-9191 for more information.
2-11-04
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