Meetings/Events

Sympathy

We have been informed that David Hart, an adjunct in C&I, recently passed away. The RCOE community expresses its sympathy to his family.

Thanks

Many thanks to Lynn Church and everyone else who pitched in to provide decorations and set up 03 for our holiday luncheon; many people expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to gather with colleagues and just enjoy the food, relax, and talk—and a good time was had by all!

Commencement Reminder

No separate ceremony is held for graduate students at December; the RCOE will be sharing the platform with Arts and Sciences at the 10 a.m. ceremony; a second ceremony will be held at 2 for the other colleges. Commencement speaker is June Atkinson, State Superintendent of Instruction. Hope to see you all there.

Egyptian Visitors

20 Egyptian educators are spending two weeks in our area, visiting local schools, meeting with students and faculty on campus, spending time in Raleigh, etc., to gain as comprehensive view of American education as possible. This is another Fulbright program that brings these people to our campus. Another group will be visiting in April ’08. We are fortunate to have these opportunities to learn from such visitors about other educational systems in the world and at the same time, share information with them about our system.

Custodians

We are still accepting contributions for the gift to the custodians until Friday, Dec. 14; they can be left with Lynn in my office. Many thanks for your thoughtfulness and generosity for these fine people.

Reading Group Reminder

Last week we provided brief summaries of the three books under consideration for reading groups this spring; we need you to indicate your choice to Diane Waryold in HPC before you leave for break so we can determine which books and how many we should order. Please help us get a jump on the semester so we do not have to wait around for books when the semester begins. Titles of the books: Where I Am From: Student Affairs Practice from the Whole of Students’ Lives; Middlesex; Music of Your Lives.

United Streaming

I believe I failed to mention that based on feedback from a number of you, we will renew the subscription; if you would like to know more about this valuable video resource—which is available now in many of the North Carolina public schools—check with Jeff Goodman in C&I.

Department Chair Evaluations

We would appreciate receiving your evaluations of your department chairs prior to your leaving for the holidays; that will provide us with time to prepare the summaries that are shared with the chair, myself, and the provost.

Donor Visits

Dolly Farrell, our advancement officer, and I have been making holiday visits to a number of our alumni donors; these visits are quite rewarding because the amount of goodwill toward the college and the university from these individuals is quite overwhelming, and they are very appreciative of being remembered personally at this time of year, especially those who may be in retirement homes and assisted living. We are very fortunate to have such alumni supporting us.

Food for Thought

Jeff Goodman drew my attention to this video. It’s a three minute clip about student life and experience made by the students in a Kent State University cultural anthropology class — very thought provoking. Something to reflect upon during the holidays!

• http://mediatedcultures.net/ksudigg/?p=119

Best Wishes

Our best wishes for an enjoyable holiday break; may the spirit of the season be with you wherever your travels may take you. Come back to us safe and refreshed. Thank you for all the work you have done this semester. I look forward to an equally productive spring semester. This will be the last Update until we return after the holidays.

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“Change is a Journey, not a Destination.”
—M. Fullan