August 24, 2004
Convocation welcomes a new academic year
University
of Detroit Mercy’s new president, Gerard L. Stockhausen, S.J., shared
good news while addressing the State of the University at last Thursday’s
Convocation, reporting a continued trend in the rise of full-time enrollment.
Fall enrollment will see a significant growth in graduate and professional
students, as well as new undergraduate students. He also addressed recent
cutbacks in the budget, reporting that there will be no need for further
cutbacks as long as the University stays “budget disciplined.”
President Stockhausen’s mantra for the academic year is, “The best source of new resources is the reallocation of existing resources,” as he expressed the need for enhancements in several university areas, including: classrooms and housing; IT infrastructure; and student life activities and facilities.
The new Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Barbara R. Schirmer, Ed.D., also shared her agenda for the upcoming year, which will focus on the following areas:
- Shared governance
- Assessment for continuous improvement and accreditation
- Curriculum and program development and review
- Enhanced use of technology for teaching, learning and problem-solving.
Great opportunities to be involved!
Our
Presidential Inauguration theme is “Service and Leadership in our
Community.” To help the University concretely live this out during
the upcoming academic year, President Stockhausen announced at Convocation
the opportunity for all full-time and full-time modified employees to use
up to four hours of paid release time this fiscal year to volunteer their
services to a non-profit organization. A variety of opportunities are organized
for Wednesday, September 29, of Inauguration Week.
Time off must be requested and approved by the supervisor. If employees are participating in a University-sponsored service opportunity, they simply need to show up at the time and place indicated. A record of their attendance will be forwarded to Human Resources for processing. If employees are participating in a non-University-sponsored service opportunity, they must provide Human Resources with a letter from the organization indicating the employee's name and date served. Employees must attach this to their timecard.
All employees must indicate Community Service and the number of hours served on their timecard. Kronos Users should use the new “Community Service” comment code. Community Service will act as time worked.
If you have any further questions about procedures for this, please contact Human Resources at hr@udmercy.edu. Watch future issues of Campus Connection for Inauguration service opportunities.
Great
Things for UDM!
UDM receives high rankings in U.S. News and World Report's "America's
Best Colleges,” as it enters the Top 25 of Midwestern master's universities
- the highest ranked of all Michigan schools in this category. UDM is also
featured as one of only 15 Midwest universities in the magazine's "Great
Schools at Great Prices" category and as number six in the Midwestern
category for "Campus Diversity." The 2005 edition will hit newsstands
in September.
Wednesday morning reflections on Catherine McAuley
The House of Mercy invites you to attend morning reflections on Catherine
McAuley, the foundress of the Sisters of Mercy. The reflections, co-facilitated
by Sarah Swart, director of Instructional Technology and associate for Sisters
of Mercy, and Theresa Blaquiere, RSM, a resident at the House of Mercy,
will take place Wednesdays from 8 - 9 a.m. during the fall semester, beginning
September 15. The sessions will include bagels and coffee and will allow
extra time for those with 9 a.m. classes or appointments. There will be
no session on September 29.
For more information, please contact Sr.
Theresa Blaquiere at 313-340-1162 or Sarah
Swart at 313-578-0579.
Thumbs Up!
Marian Woyciehowicz Gonsior, assistant coordinator of the
American Language and Culture Program, conducted a day-long training workshop
for teachers in the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools on June 29. Training
topics included second language acquisition and methods and materials to
support English-language learners in the regular classroom.
The Dudley Randall Center for Print Culture, directed by Rosemary Weatherston, assistant professor of English, was awarded a grant from the State of Michigan Council of Arts and Cultural Affairs, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, in support of the anthology, A Different Image: The Legacy of Broadside Press. The publication will feature the work of poets Gwendolyn Brooks, Audre Lorde, Etheridge Knight, Haki Madhubuti, Sonia Sanchez, and Dudley Randall.