News

Posted May 13, 2008 In keeping with UD's commitment to implementing and institutionalizing a University-wide student learning outcomes assessment program, the Office of Educational Assessment is sponsoring a Spring Semester Assessment Round Table Series to acquaint members of the University community with the basics of conducting assessments for programmatic improvements. All sessions will be from 11:45 a.m.--1:15 p.m. in 234 Purnell Hall:

• Wednesday, March 19, Lou Rossi, UD associate professor of mathematics, will share his overall experience with assessment for programmatic improvements, with special emphasis on writing observable and measurable learning goals;
• Thursday, April 24, Delphis Levia, UD assistant professor of geography, will talk about curriculum mapping; and
• Friday, May 16, Suzanne Burton, UD associate professor of music, will share her experiences with course-embedded assessments, including a discussion of practical direct and indirect assessment techniques.

All sessions will be facilitated by Kathleen Pusecker, outcomes assessment analyst in the Office of Educational Assessment. Members of the University community are invited to participate in the full series or in individual sessions.

To register, send e-mail to Kathleen Pusecker or visit the Office of Educational Assessment web site.

Posted April 29, 2008 Two UD student-produced video documentaries on the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 and on Hurricane Katrina in 2005 will be shown from 2:30-4 p.m., Wednesday, April 30, in 204 Kirkbride Hall.

The documentaries were produced as coursework for a UD sociology/ women's studies seminar on disaster, vulnerability and development that required students to interview researchers, disaster relief workers and volunteers who responded to the natural disasters. The documentaries also incorporate footage collected by UD's Disaster Research Center during field studies.

Tricia Wachtendorf, assistant professor of sociology at UD, said that the project gave students the opportunity to work creatively and collaboratively on presenting what they learned in the seminar and to hear first-hand accounts of the large-scale relief efforts.

The free public event, which will be followed by question-and-answer sessions moderated by student producers, is cosponsored by the Disaster Research Center and UD's student chapter of the Earthquake, Engineering Research Institute. For more information, call (302) 831-1254.

Posted April 14, 2008 The deadline to nominate yourself or a colleague for the “Exemplary Use of Technology in Teaching” award is April 30. You can complete an online nomination form.

The award identifies and rewards faculty members who incorporate technology into their teaching to enhance student learning. Winners will each receive $500 to use for professional development or to enhance their teaching with technology. The number of award winners each year depends on the number of submissions and the evaluation by the judges.

Over the past 3 years, award winners have come from departments across campus: Dorrie Deluca, accounting and management information systems; Jingyi Yu, computer and information sciences; Nancy Edwards, individual and family studies; Jennifer Lambe, communication; Richard Hanley, philosophy; and Chandra Reedy, art history.

Because the award is designed to recognize individual faculty efforts, technology applications that have been completely designed and implemented by academic support units are not eligible.

This year, the nominations will be judged by

• James Dean, Professor, English (2005 award recipient),
• Kathy Pusecker, Outcomes Assessment Analyst, Office of Educational Assessment, and
• Pat Sine, Director, Office of Educational Technology.

Award recipients will be notified May 9 and awards will be presented during the Summer Faculty Institute (June 2-6).

To find out more, visit the award web site.

Posted March 25, 2008 To strengthen and support UD graduate education, the Office of the Provost created a fund for Graduate Program Improvement and Innovation Grants last year. Administered through the Research and Graduate Studies Office, these grants, typically ranging from $10,000 to $50,000, are offered to academic units for innovative initiatives and projects designed to improve the graduate experience and graduate student success at UD.

Read the full article at UDaily.

Posted March 6, 2008

University of Delaware Information Technologies-User Services has announced that it will temporarily relocate both its service areas and staff offices starting in April and will return to Smith Hall in mid-August.

“This spring and summer, Smith Hall will undergo HVAC renovations. All our services must be moved from Smith, but they will remain available to the campus community in temporary locations,” Leila Lyons, director, User Services, said.

PRESENT will temporarily move to 221 McDowell Hall, telephone 0640.

“We will keep the campus informed of these temporary arrangements through UDaily articles, posters in affected service areas and a web site,” Lyons said.

A web site is available with up-to-date information.

“The site is designed to keep the campus informed of our progress,” Lyons said. “You will find links to campus maps and buildings to locate any of the temporary sites as well as for staff office relocations.”