November 29, 2004, Northern Today Abridged

COE professors to write next chapter in Kenya Literacy Project

Two professors from the College of Education’s Department of Teaching and Learning will spend most of December in Kenya, continuing a colleague’s work to improve the standard of living and learning in one of the country’s rural villages.

Maylan Dunn and C. Sheldon Woods depart Thursday, Dec. 2, for Mwala, a small village about 90 miles southeast of Nairobi in the district of Machakos, where they will train teachers in the latest research on early childhood and elementary education and how to apply it in the classroom.

“The divide between the urban and rural areas is getting bigger and bigger,” said Dunn, who visited Kenya earlier this year in January. “Families have to spend so much of their labor capacity on getting water and food, and the children play a big role in that.”

Their work is the latest chapter in an evolving story authored by Moses Mutuku, an assistant professor of early childhood education, who has studied the gap between urban and rural learning in his native country since 2000.

Mutuku quickly realized the nature of the problem: Urban dwellers enjoy an ample and easily obtained supply of water, food and economic opportunity. He began a course of action to improve the standard of living – along with the attitudes and abilities of the residents – in one rural town to see if higher test scores would follow.

The work is concentrated on Mwala, where he has already fixed many of the water-related issues and built a community library.

His goal is to make educational opportunities equal and, eventually, convince the Kenyan government on a nationwide plan based on his work in Mwala.

The challenges for students are many, Dunn said, and go beyond the considerable and valuable hours they must devote each day to fetching water.

Classrooms are dim and without electricity. Teachers write on pieces of cloth or, if necessary, the walls. A lack of doors or locks on the schools, compounded by a termite infestation, requires students to carry all materials back and forth from the headmaster’s secure office to the classrooms each morning and night.

Staffing and a growing enrollment also pose problems.

Although the government funds salaries for teachers at the primary level, it expects parents of pre-primary students to compensate the teachers of their children. Rural poverty caused by rampant unemployment often translates into meager wages for pre-primary teachers, some of whom are paid in goods rather than money. Meanwhile, the government’s choice not to impose qualifications for pre-primary teachers allows teachers without high school diplomas.

At the same time, attendance is on the rise as parents seek a safe haven for their children from the political struggle that has paved the road to fair and democratic elections and the transition to a new coalition government.

The new leadership guarantees free primary schools (first- through eighth-grade) but does not extend that provision to pre-primary or high schools or to materials beyond text books and pads of paper. Some children now are arriving at primary school with no previous classroom experience, while other communities struggle to provide the building, the uniforms and other necessary resources.

Yet education is valued despite the obstacles.

“Families really care about education, for both boys and girls,” she said. “The thing that keeps them out of the classroom is a lack of resources.”

NIU’s teams, which have also included TLRN colleague Randi Wolfe, take whatever supplies they are able to purchase with their own money and donations from friends and coworkers.

Kenyan teachers are appreciative, Dunn said, but they want something more. “The teachers say, ‘Don’t just send us stuff. Come work with us.’ They want specialized training in just being a teacher,” she said.

“One of the things we know is that from birth to age 3, the brain is growing at a tremendous rate. Those are critical years for nurturing in an appropriate environment,” she said.

“At age 3, they begin pruning anything they’re not using. Intelligence is inhibited by their environment. In Kenya, the issues include nutrition and sanitation, a source of electricity, clean water,” she added. “The question becomes: What kind of environment is going to increase their learning at those critical times? Parents feel that if the children are well-fed, then they’re doing well. It’s up to the pre-primary teachers to provide that environment.”

NIU students give ‘thumbs up’ to online courses

Online learning is a hit at NIU, according to a pilot survey of 149 students who have taken some classes via their computers.

The report, issued this fall based on surveys taken near the end of the Fall 2003 and Spring 2004 semesters, shows overall satisfaction varies with the level of the students surveyed.

More importantly, however, most are willing to enroll in more online courses.

Students also are pleased with the degree of technology support they receive, the survey found, and the majority of the students believe the completion of their online courses improved their ability to master technology.

In Fiscal Year 2004, more than 1,800 course sections were delivered via Blackboard to an enrollment of 34,790 undergraduate and graduate students.

The survey covered 16 course sections from the 300 to the 600 level in four colleges. Response to the survey accounted for 45 percent of the 328 students enrolled.

“Northern’s been offering online courses in some format for quite a while, either blended or all online, but we had no idea what students thought of that,” NIU Assessment Coordinator Craig Barnard said. “The impetus for the survey was to see what we were doing, and what students thought about it.”

“I was impressed with students’ perceptions of technology support at NIU,” said Murali Krishnamurthi, director of the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center. “After we spent all this money for hardware, software and staff support at NIU, we wanted to make sure students are receiving the support they need.”

According to the survey, the benefits of online learning are many: Students can work independently and at their own pace. They enjoy a flexibility of scheduling. They can access course materials from anywhere at any time. For off-campus students, primarily the graduate population, they do not need to drive to campus and hunt for parking.

Disadvantages proved few, the survey found, with only “limited face-to-face meetings” surfacing as the greatest drawback.

Before the survey could begin, Barnard needed an agreement across campus on what constituted an online course. NIU’s deans concur that an online course requires students to work online, he said, and that their contact with the instructor is primarily through the computer.

The survey did not attempt to evaluate faculty.

Krishnamurthi calls the report a “confirmation of our expectations.”

“Students want to see more courses online. They think it’s convenient. It’s helping them to learn, obviously, so the learning aspect is similar to face-to-face courses. We must encourage departments and faculty to develop more online courses,” Krishnamurthi said.

“We also should be enhancing the teaching possibilities to deliver courses online. By saying that, I mean we really have to develop innovative strategies for developing courses online. This is something we do from our office through all the training programs we offer,” he added. “For some courses, it’s easy to do online. For certain disciplines, it requires a lot more innovation. If we do that, there is a definite niche for us – for NIU – for meeting our students’ needs.”

Frequent surveys of students are a priority, he said: “It’s tricky to predict what students want to see as far as the trends go.”

“It seems like the trend now is handhelds, PDAs, cell phone technology. Even Blackboard has a PDA version being developed,” he said. “It’s important to know how students are accessing technology and making use of technology, and it’s important for institutions like ours to place ourselves properly and look at the proper investment. Do we develop hardware labs and then see students are going with wireless and handheld? We really have to look ahead.”

Carol Scheidenhelm, assistant director of Faculty Development, said the survey results did open her eyes.

“One thing that continues to surprise me is the number of students who are on campus who want to take online courses. We didn’t anticipate such a high interest level,” Scheidenhelm said. “Our assumption all along was that they would be useful for non-traditional students, those who couldn’t get to campus. It tells me our students are thinking differently about classes and have different learning needs and interests.”

Scheidenhelm said the report also offers a message to professors called to action by President John Peters a year ago during his 2003 State of the University Address.

“President Peters challenged faculty to look at the changing needs of our students and how they learn, and to address those needs,” she said.

“Many times, faculty think that in order to use a lot of technology, they need to teach online. What this survey suggests is that there are components of online technology students really enjoy, such as discussion boards or the availability of the materials all the time, and those could be used in traditional classes.”

Virginia Cassidy, associate vice provost for academic planning and development, said the next step is to distribute the report. Copies were sent to the Office of the Provost, Information Technology Services, members of the graduate studies council and the general education committee and to computer lab managers across NIU’s colleges and departments.

“One of the things we need to keep an eye on is the number of courses added in an online format, and how enrollments will increase,” Cassidy said. “We may be able to serve the students’ needs now, but as more and more enroll, we’ll need to monitor that.”

Barnard believes the survey also will become a valuable tool for undergraduate advisers whose students are asking questions about online courses.

“It’s important to share with people who are considering taking an online course what it requires,” Barnard said. “It’s different from taking a traditional class. You need self-motivation to be able to stay current with your assignments.”

An upcoming study will poll those students who began but failed to complete an online course to determine what went wrong, he said.

Castles make leadership gift to Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center

John and Nancy Castle have experienced NIU from just about every conceivable angle.

Nancy describes herself as “the quintessential NIU student,” one who transferred here after earning an associate’s degree and paid her own way through college as she earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Northern.

“If NIU was not affordable, I wouldn’t have one degree, let alone three,” says Nancy, who now serves as a member of the faculty in the Department of Communicative Disorders in the College of Health and Human Sciences. “What we do here is important, and we do it well.”

On the other hand, John Castle never attended NIU. Several of his children hold NIU degrees, however, and the lifelong DeKalb resident has worked with the NIU Foundation for the betterment of the university for more than three decades.

Through their many dealings with the university, the couple has come to love NIU and have long been outspoken about their pride in the university. Recently, they chose to demonstrate that pride by making a $200,000 leadership gift toward the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center.

They specifically earmarked the money for the faculty library to honor a group that is, they say, too often taken for granted.

“The NIU faculty is too often overlooked and underrated,” John says. “People are unaware of the national and international reputations that many who teach here have earned. This library is intended to prominently feature and honor those accomplishments.”

Hopefully, says Nancy, the building, and the library in particular, will help instill in all who visit an appreciation for the overall excellence of NIU.

“This building is going to be a portal to campus for everyone from prospective students to returning alumni. It should give all of those people an immediate appreciation for NIU as an outstanding university,” she says. “This library, with its collection of books authored by NIU faculty, its displays of faculty artwork and exhibits acknowledging top teachers and researchers, can be an important, powerful part of that message.”

The Castles’ commitment to the project did not stop at making the gift. John signed on as a member of the project steering committee, while Nancy agreed to co-chair the fundraising campaign alongside fellow alumnus Dennis Barsema.

Serving in that role has been exciting, says Nancy, because it has brought her in contact with so many others who are just as proud of NIU as she and her husband are.

“It’s been wonderful meeting so many people who are so enthused about NIU. They don’t need to be convinced of the value of the project,” she says.

Like his wife, John was pleasantly surprised by the level of excitement over the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center, and believes it marks a turning point for the university.

“I think there has been a real change in how people view the university. There is a new-found status attached to being an NIU alumnus,” he says.

Both John and Nancy hope that the building will help spread that excitement.

“This will be a tangible symbol of university pride, and we need more of that,” says Nancy. “From the moment people walk into this building, I think they will get an immediate sense of what an outstanding place NIU is and will want to be a part of that. We hope it will turn prospective students into alumni the first time they step through its doors.”

The Castles also hope that the wood-paneled library, which will include a large fireplace and open onto a patio, will become a social center for campus.

“I love the idea that it could become a gathering place for faculty: a spot to hold small lectures or informal wine and cheese gatherings – a place for true collegiality. We’ve never really had such a thing,” Nancy Castle said.

In addition to the library, the 37,000-square-foot Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center, which is being built at the corner of Annie Glidden Road and Stadium Drive, will include state-of-the-art meeting and conference facilities and office space for the NIU Alumni Association, the NIU Student Alumni Association and student orientation staff.

The centerpiece of the two-story structure will be its soaring Great Hall featuring plaques, displays and exhibits highlighting the history of NIU and the accomplishments of the university’s alumni.

The building will serve as a stepping-off point for campus tours, a venue for guest speakers and colloquia and a hall for weddings, dances, reunions and other major events. It will also include a large terrace for outdoor entertaining, which should make the center a natural gathering point for events such as football game days.

To date, donors have pledged more than 80 percent of the $6.2 million fundraising goal for the project. Construction began with a groundbreaking prior to the Oct.16 NIU Homecoming football game, and the facility is expected to open by Homecoming 2005.

For more information on the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center, visit www.niu.edu/pubaffairs/nnow/winter04/center.html online.

NIU students to bring Tennessee’s Christmas to life

Tracy Nunnally was – appropriately – in the air when he found his reindeer.

Nunnally, technical director and assistant professor in the NIU School of Theatre and Dance, and three of his students will travel to Knoxville next month to give flight to Jesus and a trio of angels during “The Living Christmas Tree.”

It’s a grand production, staged for live audiences and televised each December by the Sevier Heights Baptist Church inside the sprawling Thompson-Boling Arena on the campus of the University of Tennessee. The roof is 100 feet above the floor, and the length of the seating area is 270 feet, nearly the size of a football field.

Three hundred choir members from the church and others congregations from miles away will stand on half-circle risers inside a 60-foot-tall Christmas tree, powerfully singing carols accompanied by a full symphony orchestra.

But despite the scriptural nature of the program, the producers want Santa Claus, his sleigh and the fabled eight tiny reindeer to soar above the crowd at the opening.

Nunnally, a national expert in creating flying effects, is their man. And, fortunately for their audiences, he likes to put on a big show.

“They want to ramp things up this year,” says Nunnally, who also worked last year’s performances. “The sleigh will be 80 feet in the air, and I’ve spec’ed it to hold 600 pounds. It needs to be safe – and look good.”

He discovered the perfect reindeer in an on-flight catalog during a trip home from Texas, where he had flown Peter Pan. They’re just lawn ornaments, and overpriced if purchased through the middleman, but they’ll do the trick – and Nunnally has no plans of paying retail.

Amazing effects at a bargain price is Nunnally’s trademark. The real magic – beyond the pulleys and the programmable logic controllers and the tracks along the ceiling – comes in how and why he does what he does.

His students not only serve as his crews but often come to the outside jobs as the designers and builders of the equipment.

For “The Living Christmas Tree,” NIU graduate student Ryan Poethke is encoding the programmable logic controller, which powers the drive that runs the motor. Sophomore Eric Boxer is networking the PLC to the drive. Third-year MFA graduate student William Auld is building the sleigh.

Meanwhile, all three are watching over each other’s shoulders to learn everything they can about theater effects.

One multipurpose pulley system will fly Jesus, the messenger angel and Santa and his entourage along the same kind of track automobile plants employ to carry cars down the assembly lines. Mathematical equations help the student techies determine how to spread the load over a certain area and the weight-bearing capabilities of the mechanisms.

Auld, Boxer and Poethke assembled their equipment over the holiday weekend, and will journey to Knoxville the Sunday after final exams. The show plays Friday, Dec. 17, and Saturday, Dec. 18.

“I take students with me everywhere,” Nunnally says. “They’re getting their hands on the real equipment that’s being used in the real world, which, quite frankly, our university can’t afford.”

Producers, meanwhile, get professional-level effects in exchange for their patience. Nunnally paid $2,000 from his own pocket for the hardware used to build these test models and, in all his contracted work, the client’s money later buys “the real stuff.”

“It’s a healthy marriage. The client gets a good product, cheaper than L.A. or Vegas, for what they give up through money in advance and time,” he says. “The students get real experience, mentored by me, and I make sure no on gets hurt. Everyone wins.”

The winners include NIU, he adds.

“We’ve become known as a school that can teach this level of production,” he says. “It’s a point of pride.”

Gift from students improves campus safety

Current and future NIU students will be safer thanks to the generosity of the NIU Class of 2001.

Members of that class donated nearly $7,500 to the NIU Department of Public Safety. The money was recently used to purchase of audio visual equipment that has improved the safety presentations given by the department. The equipment purchased included three laptop computers, three computer projectors and a table-top screen.

“We are very grateful for the generosity shown by members of the Class of 2001,” said NIU Chief of Police Donald Grady. “This equipment has allowed us to greatly enhance our safety presentations and will help us make campus a safer place for everyone.”

The money was raised through the Senior Class Challenge. That program solicits members of a graduating class to support a project or program on campus selected by the NIU Student Alumni Association.

About 435 members of the Class of 2001 lent their support to the project.

Other classes have made gifts to support campus libraries, the Convocation Center Alumni Shop and the new Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center. The goal of the Senior Class Challenge is to allow graduates to leave campus a better place than they found it.

“The Senior Class Challenge is a great way for students to leave their mark on campus after they leave,” said Meghan Marsden, director of the NIU Annual Fund, who oversees the project.

Graduates who participate in the challenge are also automatic members of the NIU Allegiance Society, which honors alumni who make a gift to their Senior Class Challenge and never miss a year of giving thereafter. Members of the society receive invitations to special events and a newsletter aimed at young alumni. They also receive a mention in the NIU Foundation Annual Report.

For more information on the NIU Senior Class Challenge, visit www.niufoundation.org/annualfund.

Studwell names ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain’
as his Carol of the Year for 2004

As lively and exciting as the day it made its debut, the spiritual “Go Tell It on the Mountain” has been named Christmas Carol of the Year for 2004.

The selection was made by William Studwell, an NIU professor emeritus recognized as one of the world’s foremost experts on Christmas carols.

Studwell worked at NIU from 1970 until 2000, retiring from the post of principal cataloguer at Founders Memorial Library. He has named a Carol of the Year for 19 years.

“It is an energetic, inspired carol,” Studwell says of this year’s selection, a century-old tune that tells the story of the birth of Christ and urges listeners to spread the word. “It is the greatest of all American folk carols.”

Like many carols, the precise history of “Go Tell It on the Mountain” is a bit fuzzy.

Although generally considered an anonymous work, Studwell believes the piece was written by Frederick Jerome Work (1880-1942), a black composer, teacher and scholar.

Work was deeply involved in the collection, arrangement and dissemination of black spirituals, Studwell says, indicating it is possible that Work only discovered and preserved the song. However, Studwell’s research has led him to believe that Work actually penned the piece, which then was arranged and disseminated by his nephew, John Wesley Work.

Studwell places its first publication in the early 1900s, but the piece gained little notice until the 1920s, when the Fisk University Singers began performing the song. Even then, it did not make much of a splash.

“I looked through hundreds of carol collections and other song books and I could not find it in any collection prior to the 1950s,” says Studwell.

About that time the song steadily began to gain in popularity, winning over listeners with its jazzy energetic beat and its enthusiastic call to action.

“Most carols of the 20th century are not so enthusiastic. This is more like some of the older carols, like ‘Joy to the World’ or ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ in that regard,” Studwell says. “It shows some real enthusiasm for the Christmas holiday.”

Several black spirituals have become popular Christmas carols, he notes.

Those include “Children, Go Where I Send Thee,” “Mary Had a Baby” and “Rise Up Shepherd and Follow.” Carols arising from that genre are typically emotional, frequently inventive, generally tuneful and sometimes poignant, he says.

Studwell began researching Christmas carols in 1972 when he created a pamphlet about “Oh Holy Night” as a gift for a family member.

Since then, he has researched and written about hundreds of carols and has conducted more than 350 media interviews on the topic for newspapers, radio and television. He also has served as an adviser to several projects compiling recordings and lyrics of carols.

Studwell is also a champion of other musical genres he believes are under-appreciated, and has written extensively on college fight songs, state songs, patriotic music and circus music, becoming a nationally recognized expert in each of those fields. He has written 35 books in all.

Studwell currently resides in Bloomington, Ind. His wife, Ann, who died in April of 2003, worked at NIU from 1973 until 2003, mostly as an instructor in computer science.

NIU welcomes second annual Festival of Trees

There’s a beautiful new holiday tradition in DeKalb. This year, it’s coming to NIU.

Based on its tremendous success last year, the second annual Festival of Trees, to be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3, and Saturday, Dec. 4, promises to be bigger, better and even more beautiful than last year.

Better yet: this year it’s free and more convenient: The Festival of Trees has moved to the Holmes Student Center’s Duke Ellington Ballroom this year to allow for its rapid expansion. NIU staff members are working closely with festival volunteers to ensure a great show.

The Festival of Trees is for “children of all ages” who still delight in the sights, the sounds and the smells of the holiday season.

Friday is NIU day at the festival and all faculty, staff and students are invited to stop by and enjoy this breathtaking display of elegantly decorated trees and wreaths combined with more than 60 crafters offering a wide variety of traditional – and sometimes not-so-traditional – treasures. Special door prizes will available on Friday to NIU guests.

Saturday is Family Day, with festive holiday music and dance, special activities for children and a visit by Santa Claus from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Volunteers from the Jefferson School PTA, along with business, non-profit and government sponsors from throughout the DeKalb-Sycamore area, join together to offer this enchanting winter wonderland.

The crafters, some from as far away as California and many with hand-made items from throughout the world, will offer a great variety of special treasures, from textiles and jewelry made by the indigenous people of Guatemala to NFL and MLB holiday decor; from gourmet dog treats to homemade fudge and peanut brittle; from custom “while you wait” embroidery to hand-crafted wooden toys and ornaments.

Festive music and dance will fill the hall Saturday with performances by the Artistic Dance Center, the Jefferson Elementary School Choir, the School of Ballet Arts and Dance, the Emergence Dance Theatre, the Just For Kicks Dance Troupe, the Dream Star Dance Group, Debbie’s Dance Dimensions and others. A “Children’s Holiday Center” will offer craft-making, games and holiday movies for all the children.

Many of the trees and wreaths will be raffled to lucky winners at the conclusion of the Festival. Additional raffle tickets will be available for other prizes, including an LCD flat-screen television, a 16-inch Toro snow blower and more.

All proceeds from the festival benefit the important work of the Jefferson School PTA and the DeKalb Area Women’s Center.

President, Mrs. Peters host annual holiday luncheon

NIU President John and Mrs. Barbara Peters have announced their fifth annual holiday luncheon for the NIU community, a festive tradition for all friends and colleagues of the university.

This spirited event to celebrate the joy of the holiday season is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 30, in the Duke Ellington Ballroom of the Holmes Student Center. A buffet lunch will be served.

Gamelan Orchestra hosts open house today

The NIU Gamelan Orchestra will host a free open house at 2 p.m. today in Room 102 of the Music Building. All are welcome to see, hear and experience what gamelan music is all about. Those attending also can try their hand at playing some of the instruments.

Scantron questionnaires still available to faculty

More than 1,600 “Rate Your Books” Scantron questionnaires have already been mailed to faculty who requested them. There is still time to obtain your copies.

Call 753-1082 or e-mail your request to pfoster@niu.edu.

Bully workshops continue through May

Targets and supporters of bullies, as well as those who witness bullying, are invited to attend weekly support groups from noon to 1 p.m. Mondays in the Blackhawk East dining room of the Holmes Student Center.

The sessions continue through May.

Participants get the support and encouragement they deserve from others who are dealing with bullies and the chaotic and inefficient work and life environments the bullies create. For more information, call University Resources for Women at 753-0320.

Teaching Effectiveness Institute scheduled for Jan. 13

NIU’s Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center invites all faculty and teaching SPS to its 11th Teaching Effectiveness Institute “Levels of Prevention: Methods and Strategies for Deterring Plagiarism and Cheating.”

The Institute will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 13, in the Clara Sperling Sky Room of the Holmes Student Center.

Plagiarism and cheating are pervasive problems in higher education. Recent efforts have focused on detection and policing. Too little attention has been paid to educational efforts tailored to teach students how to avoid plagiarizing and cheating and faculty to design assignments and projects that make cheating and plagiarism difficult.

The institute will be facilitated by Michael Rozalski, assistant professor in the Ella Cline Shear School of Education at the State University of New York at Geneseo. Rozalski will discuss and model innovative teaching methods and technologies that highlight educational efforts rather than methods to detect plagiarism and punish students.

Faculty and teaching staff interested in registering for this institute or who would like further information can e-mail facdev@niu.edu. Deadline for registration is Friday, Dec. 20. Seats are limited and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

All participants will receive institute materials, refreshments, lunch and a certificate signed by the provost. This institute is sponsored in part by the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center and Pepsi Cola General Bottlers, Inc.

Applicants sought for Wiegele award

The Thomas C. Wiegele Interdisciplinary Dissertation Completion Award is offered annually to Ph.D. candidates at NIU whose dissertations bridge two distinct academic disciplines.

It supports interdisciplinary study within the social and life sciences. All Ph.D. students whose dissertations bridge two academic disciplines are encouraged to apply. Eligibility is limited to those whose dissertation proposals have been accepted by their dissertation committees.

The honor brings with it a $500 monetary award, a certificate and recognition at the political science commencement ceremony. It is administered by the Department of Political Science.

The deadline for applications is Jan. 15. Applications are available from the Department of Political Science. The recipient will be notified by March 15.

The award honors the late Thomas C. Wiegele, a longtime member of NIU’s political science department and President Research Professor. Wiegele was the founder and director of NIU’s Program for Biosocial Research.

The Thomas C. Wiegele Memorial Fund was established by the NIU Foundation in 1992 with gifts received from his friends and family. Those wishing to contribute to this or other funds are invited to contact the Foundation at 753-7406 or www.niu.edu/devrel/giving online.

MCTI seeks participants for summer institute

The Office of the Provost and the Provost’s Task Force on Multicultural Curriculum Transformation are pleased to announce NIU’s annual Multicultural Curriculum Transformation Institute to be held May 16 to May 20 at NIU.

Full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty, instructors, and Supportive Professional staff on renewable contracts 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 students for a diverse workplace and society.

The deadline for applications is Feb. 1.

This summer’s institute will feature plenary addresses on curriculum transformation and presentations by invited scholars and NIU faculty, panel discussions, syllabi critique, video presentations, and small group activities on incorporating current scholarship relevant to race, gender, ethnicity, social class, sexual orientation and disabilities into content as well as pedagogy.

Plenary sessions and some presentations will be open to all members of the university community but the small group sessions will be open only to award recipients to allow for in-depth interactions on transformation of their courses. The complete schedule will be available later this spring and will also be posted on the task force Web site at http://www3.niu.edu/mcti.

Instructional staff members interested in participating in the full institute are encouraged to apply for Multicultural Curriculum Transformation Awards. The individuals selected each will receive a $1,000 stipend to support specific curriculum transformation projects, such as developing new courses or revising existing courses to address multicultural issues. Faculty, Supportive Professional Staff and instructors on 12-month contracts cannot receive the $1,000 award. Limited funds are available for these awards.

For application information, or if you have questions regarding the institute, please contact Task Force Chair Amy Levin at 753-1038, e-mail mcti@niu.edu or check the task force Web site at http://www3.niu.edu/mcti.

Mortar Board looking for members for 2005-06

Mortar Board National Senior Honor Society is looking for new members who are committed to scholarship, leadership and service to the university and community.

To be eligible for membership, students should represent the ideals of Mortar Board and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2. The Pleiades Chapter of Mortar Board at NIU is encouraging faculty and staff to mention this opportunity during class and while working individually with students who meet the requirements for membership

Applications and more information can be found on the chapter Web site at www.mortarboard.niu.edu. The application deadline for 2005-2006 is Feb. 17.

11-29-04