The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Bill Moran had a front row view as chancellor when the Dining Hall was renovated and the Fountain was built, a quarter century ago. On May 1, he had a front row seat, literally, as the area was named in his honor.

“He steered this institution through enormously challenging times,” Chancellor Linda P. Brady said. A hiring freeze, budget cut, double digit inflation, belt tightening were some of the challenges he faced – but he was undaunted by them, she explained.

This day of dedicating the William E. Moran Commons and Plaza was “a tribute to a bold leader.”

Among his achievements, he led UNCG’s first-ever capital campaign. UNCG’s endowment grew tenfold under his 15 year tenure as chancellor.

He was responsible for many new buildings on campus. Chancellor Brady made special note of the Dining Hall renovation during his tenure and building of the Fountain.

“UNCG could not have become the institution it is today without Bill Moran,” she said.

UNCG Trustee Richard “Skip” Moore noted those two projects were the “beginning of the physical transformation of this campus.” He described what the area had looked like before its transformation, with a parking area and a bridge leading to the second floor.

Student Government president Chelsea Boccardo called the commons and plaza “an incredible space.” She added – speaking from the students’ perspective – “This will be remembered as the spot – where everything happens.”

Moran described the phone call in which Chancellor Brady told him the news of the naming. He is “still stunned by it,” he said.

He alluded to the history of the campus, using the Dining Hall and fountain area as an example. “This campus means a lot to me,” he said. He called it “a classroom in itself.” The students are learning as they talk with each other – and as they walk the campus. It is a convergence of beauty and function and order, he explained, and students sense that importance and stability.

In his story of UNCG, “Making North Carolina Literate,” historian Allen Trelease noted Moran’s years of tenure were marked with controversy and dissension. “Different constituencies, on and off campus, pushed in different directions,” he wrote. On this day, that was forgotten.

The large crowd of well-wishers on hand for the dedication were testament to the important place he holds in the Spartan family.

An endowment fund has been set up in Moran’s name at UNCG.

Trustees chair David Sprinkle, who provided the welcome, joined Moran, Brady, Moore and Boccardo in ringing the University Bell.

Three taps on the ball and then a final cheer as Brady made final remarks at “this marvelous event in the life of the university.”

By Mike Harris
Photography by Chris English and David Wilson. On main CW page, Moran speaks with well-wishers, including Terry Seaks (left with raised hand). On this page, Moran at ceremony.

Dr. Norman Anderson earned his PhD in psychology at UNCG 30 years ago.

On Friday, he was back. Anderson, CEO of the American Psychological Association, addressed the Class of 2013 and took home a second doctorate, an honorary Doctor of Science degree.

He spoke of happiness.

About 60 percent of their personal happiness can be chalked up to life circumstances and genetics, Anderson told the new grads. The remaining 40 percent is up to them.

“Research has shown that enduring happiness involves the actions we take, the thoughts we think and the goals we set for ourselves every day,” he said. “We are in complete control of a large percentage of our own happiness, so the onus is on us to fully realize our happiness potential.”

Chancellor Linda P. Brady conferred 2,693 degrees during the university’s spring commencement, held in the Greensboro Coliseum. That number includes 2,020 bachelors degrees, 600 masters degrees, 15 Specialist in Education degrees and 58 doctoral degrees. Thirty-eight of those degrees went to international students.

Dr. Daniel Winkler served as faculty marshal and mace bearer.

Chelsea Boccardo, president of the Student Government Association, addressed the Class of 2013 on behalf of SGA.

Chief marshal was Anna Batista. KaShay Evans-Barlow was tassel turner.

Matthew Moss, Class of 2013, and Gayle Hicks Fripp, Class of 1963, rang the university bell, a longstanding UNCG tradition.

Full story – and link to address – at UNCC News.

By Michelle Hines

Karen Parker was the first black female undergraduate at UNC Chapel Hill. Joanne Johnston-Francis, a white student, became her roommate without seeking permission from officials. They both protested segregation in sit-ins at Chapel Hill. Their role as Tar Heels is documented in such books as “Courage in the Moment” and “The Free Men.”

What few know is that their civil rights activism started earlier – as students at Woman’s College (later known as UNCG).

For them, before there was Franklin Street, there was Tate Street.

The Tate Street boycott involved a cinema and two restaurants that would not serve African Americans. The Woman’s College student government voted unanimous approval of a boycott and picketing. A few dozen Woman’s College students picketed in front of the three businesses in an organized manner.

The protest was featured in UNCG Magazine in Spring 2010. A number of key figures were interviewed (the story can be read here.) But two who were not interviewed were Parker and Johnston-Francis, who both transferred to UNC Chapel Hill after that semester.

Karen Parker, wearing her Class of ‘65 nametag at a recent WC Reunion, was asked about her involvement on Tate Street.

“I was picketing at the Apple House,” she said, and she may have picketed the cinema on Tate Street, as well. She additionally recalls participating in a big, silent march in downtown Greensboro.

She has suppressed some unpleasant memories, she says. But she has a few particular memories of the Tate Street protesting.

“I remember a white girl,” she says, stating her name. “She walked right in front of me on the picket line.” They’d know each other in Winston-Salem’s Reynolds High School AP English class, and as interns for two years (as WC students) at the Winston-Salem Journal, Parker notes. That day, the white student disregarded her as she cut through the line to enter the Apple House.

Parker called her by her name. “__, I’m shocked.” It hurt Parker’s feelings, she explains. “She put her head up, and walked right in there.”

“It floored me.”

Another memory: “A bunch of white men were really harassing us, name-calling,” she says. How close? “Pretty much in our faces.”

When did she meet Johnston-Francis? “I thought it was when we were picketing. Joanne thinks it was later,” in Chapel Hill.

Johnston-Francis is not sure either. She knew Parker’s roommate, Linda Lee, an African-American student. “I spoke to Linda on the picket line,” Johnston-Francis recalls. So it’s quite possible she and Parker did meet on Tate Street while picketing, she thinks.

Like Parker, Johnston-Francis transferred to Chapel Hill for their School of Journalism. Looking back, she credits WC/UNCG for the “variety and richness of its student body.”

The first black woman undergraduate at UNC Chapel Hill, Parker had no roommate in West Cobb.

As Johnston-Francis tells it, “(Karen) was given a room by herself. I was put in a three-girl room.”

They thought, “Well, this is crazy.”

Johnston-Francis moved in. They became friends. And they both became a part of the effort to integrate Chapel Hill businesses that would not serve African Americans. (A brief overview is here.)

“Karen was arrested first,” explains Johnston-Francis about the sit-ins. “I did not know where she was.”

Ultimately Parker would be arrested twice, over the course of the sit-ins.

Johnston-Francis would be arrested four times. A newspaper photograph by Jim Wallace of her being dragged away by one arm by a police officer at a restaurant sit-in reportedly led to a police policy change: The police chief instructed all officers to carry those being arrested during sit-ins.

“I remember my teeth chattering, when I was arrested,” Johnston-Francis says, when asked about that photograph. She wasn’t sure what would happen next. “We would refuse to accept bail,” she says.

She worked to get more people involved. And she lobbied Congress regarding the 1964 civil rights legislation. “I spent a week or more in DC lobbying Peter Rodino, Emanuel Cellar and others.”

She’d spent much of her childhood in Greensboro, attending white, segregated schools in Lindley Park. She recalls riding the bus to downtown Greensboro for music lessons – she, a white girl, in the front while African-American maids would be in the back. The unwritten rules of segregation were “highly curious and uncomfortable” she remembers feeling at that young age. Her parents were from New Jersey, where she’d begun elementary school at an integrated school. “We were not prepared for segregation.”

She’d gone to that Cinema Theatre as a child, not aware that it was segregated. At downtown Greensboro’s theaters, segregation was more obvious, she explains.

As a sophomore at Woman’s College, she saw a sign in Elliott Hall (now the EUC), announcing a meeting there for anyone interested in the picketing on Tate Street. She went.

“I signed up for various shifts to carry a sign.”

How many shifts? “I have no idea how many times. I was supposed to be studying for exams.” How many? “More than I should have.”

She believes she marched at each location on Tate Street.

The positive experience encouraged her. “My experience being successful there (on Tate Street) led me to believe we’d be successful there at Chapel Hill.” But the protesters in Chapel Hill would meet very strong resistance.

Johnston-Francis’ family had not known of her picketing at Tate Street. They disapproved of her action in Chapel Hill.

“My mother did not know of it,” Parker says of the Tate Street protest and her participation in it. She says a blurb ran on the Winston-Salem TV news and believes that’s how her mother found out about it. “She did have a fit.” She was more upset later with her activism in Chapel Hill.

After Chapel Hill, Johnston-Francis embarked on a teaching career path in Harlem, then moved to Washington state. Much of her life’s work has been in social work of some kind but has also included agriculture, forestry, hospitality, historical research and writing. Now, short story writing and gardening are two passions.

After Chapel Hill, Parker worked at the Grand Rapids Press, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, the LA Times for a 15 year stint, the Salt Lake Tribune and then the Winston-Salem Journal, where she’d interned as a UNCG student.

Her education at UNCG served her very well, she says. “I learned so much,” she says. “Literature and other things.”

Dante’s Inferno. Her Homeric Greek class. History class. She vividly recalls an exam where there was one essay question, about Martin Luther. One student got an A, the professor told the class. “The A was Miss Parker.”

“Things did get better over the years” for African-Americans, Parker observes. Johnston-Francis observes the societal changes too. “We have come a long way, but have so far yet to go.”

Though they live on opposite sides of the country, the two have remained friends over the decades. They are linked by their Greensboro years and Chapel Hill years. They talk about every six weeks or so, Parker says.

By Mike Harris
Photography of Parker and Johnston-Francis (Joanne Christine Johnston) from 1963 Pine Needles yearbook, courtesy UNCG Special Collections & University Archives. Photograph on main Campus Weekly page of Parker at April Reunion event is by Wesley Brown.

A brief overview of the Tate Street boycott and picketing is here.
The full story is at www.uncg.edu/ure/alumni_magazineT2/2010_spring/feature_tatestreet.htm

UNCG’s renovated Quad has been awarded the Star Award, the top honor given by the Construction Professional Network of North Carolina.

The $55 million renovation of seven historic residence halls on campus, known as the Quad, was chosen for the prestigious award from among a list of projects that cost more than $20 million. Several aspects of the Quad renovation were singled out for praise by the judges, including its sustainable design and the project’s complexity, said Fred Patrick, director of UNCG facilities, design and construction.

Its impact on the local community and construction industry also received high marks, Patrick said.

This marks the second year in a row a UNCG-related construction project has received the Star Award.

Full story at UNCG Now.

By Lanita Withers Goins

The College of Arts & Sciences has announced the award of the 2013-14 Candace Bernard and Robert Glickman Dean’s Professorships to three tenure-track faculty, based on their scholarly accomplishments and promise and their commitment to excellent teaching:

• Holly Goddard Jones, assistant professor of Creative Writing in the Department of English, joined the UNCG faculty in 2009. Her work has appeared in some of the foremost venues for both fiction and non-fiction and her stories have been anthologized in volumes such as “The Year’s Best New Stories from the South,” “Best American Mystery Stories” and the forthcoming “The Lineup: 25 Provocative Women Writers.” Her collection of short stories, “Girl Trouble,” has been translated into French and Italian, and the rights to her new novel “The Next Time You See Me,” which is an alternate selection of both the Book of the Month Club and the Mystery Guild, have been sold in the UK, France, Italy and The Netherlands. She received the 2013 Hillsdale Award for Fiction from the Fellowship of Southern Writers. She has had great success as a teacher of fiction writing at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Sheryl Oring, assistant professor in the Department of Art, joined the UNCG faculty in 2011. Her interdisciplinary works rely on public and community interaction to engage with important social issues and events through public participation. As an example, in 2011 she was commissioned by the New York Public Library to produce a project called Collective Memory to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Teams of typists sat in Bryant Park in New York City and asked passers-by to respond to the question: “What would you like the world to remember about 9/11?” The replies were typed verbatim on postcards and subsequently both exhibited and published in a limited edition set of books. She has produced works in Russia and Brazil and recently won an international competition to create public art for an expansion of the San Diego International Airport. In addition to her successful formal teaching, she led a project to engage students in an exploration of the meaning of diversity on campus.
• Clifford Smyth, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, joined the UNCG faculty in 2008. His research in combinatorial probability has been published in some of the leading journals in his field, including two in the Journal of Combinatorial Theory, widely regarded as one of the most important journals in the field of mathematics, and he is regularly invited to present his research at some of the country’s most prestigious institutions. His research has been funded by the National Security Agency and the Simons Foundation, and he participates in two major collaborative projects funded by the National Science Foundation that support undergraduate involvement in the STEM disciplines. He has contributed to the department’s Math Emporium, an innovative model for teaching introductory mathematics, in addition to teaching courses at all levels and supervising graduate theses.

The Bernard-Glickman Dean’s Professorships are made possible by a generous gift from Candace Bernard ‘67 and Robert Glickman of Wayne, Penn. Each award includes a salary stipend and a fund for research. In announcing the recipients at the College of Arts & Sciences’ End-of-Year Celebration, Dr. Timothy D. Johnston, dean of the College, noted that the awards provide an opportunity to recognize the outstanding accomplishments and promise of the College’s untenured faculty.

The following message was sent to university employees earlier this week:

Consistent with the objective in our Strategic Plan to “lead the UNC System in enhancing the health and wellness of students and employees,” UNCG initiated a pilot program in summer 2012 that encouraged a flexible work schedule for staff during an eight-week period. Staff Senate and Human Resources recently conducted a survey on the 2012 program and found considerable support for continuation of the program this summer. As a result, I encourage the deans and vice chancellors to make a special effort to facilitate flexible hours from Monday, June 10 through Friday, August 2. Our current Flexible Work Schedule Policy also provides options to departments and employees throughout the year.

While we want to provide flexibility in work schedules, offices must be mindful of two guiding principles that must be followed at all times:

• An office must have coverage from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and
• In compliance with Fair Labor Standards Act requirements, all full-time non-exempt employees must work 40 hours per week. The University recognizes that many FLSA exempt employees work a significant number of hours beyond the standard work week of 40 hours.

If you are interested in participating in a flexible work schedule, I recommend discussion of potential options with your supervisor. Keep in mind that the nature of some positions and offices may not allow for this option; however, I am hopeful that most units can find a way to implement a flexible structure, particularly during the summer months.

If you are a supervisor, I encourage you to work with your department, dean, and/or vice chancellor to explore opportunities to implement a flexible work schedule for your staff. Human Resources is available if you need assistance, ideas or guidance with the implementation of a flexible work schedule for your unit. With limited resources and fewer employees due to budget cuts, we all need to think more creatively and strategically in managing our departments.

We are very interested in knowing how this policy is being implemented. If you implement a flexible work schedule, whether you are a supervisor or a staff member, please let Human Resources know. We want to share success stories and ideas with others. Additionally, if there are challenges, or you feel as if this will not work for your area, Human Resources needs to hear about those as well. Dr. Edna Chun, Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources, can be reached at e_chun@uncg.edu.

I want to thank Staff Senate and Human Resources for their continuing efforts to support the wellness and work/life balance of our employees.

Linda P. Brady
Chancellor

They came oh so close.

The UNCG Softball team entered the SoCon Tournament the fourth seed. With junior Raeanne Hanks pitching, they took the first two games in shut-out fashion, including one over top-seeded Appalachian State.

In the title game Saturday on ESPN3, she pitched again. The team gave up no runs through regulation. The defense was stellar, including a video-highlight snag (seen here) by Aisha Figueroa in left field. In the 11th inning, Georgia Southern finally scored on a home run. Final score 1-0.

Hanks went 24 straight innings without giving up an earned run until that 11th inning walk-off home run.

Hanks, who is a social work major, was named the SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Player.

Catcher Lindsay Thomas, who had two home runs in the semifinal game, was named to the All-Tournament Team.

(CW livetweeted updates and pictures from the final two games.)

Earlier in the week, Thomas had been named SoCon Freshman of the Year.

Joining Thomas on the SoCon All-Conference first team was junior Katelyn Bedwell, who majors in elementary education. Six UNCG players made second team honors.

Thomas broke the school record for most home runs in a season with 17. (Two of those were in the tournament.)

Full story at UNCG Athletics. And see related story at UNCG Now.

On Saturday March 30, Imaginary Friends Ensemble, Immer String Quartet, and the Hendiatrist Trio took to the stage at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant to collect food donations for the Greensboro Urban Ministry. Composed of both current UNCG student and alumni musicians, the three ensembles presented a concert of traditional classical works featuring Schumann, Schubert, and Chopin, among others.

Three large boxes of food and more than $100 in cash donations were collected.

On Monday, April 1, the music performance department revived an old tradition of hosting a follies concert with the “Beaux Eaux Extravaganza!” It featured music faculty and students playing everything from Bach to Tenacious D and supported Greensboro Urban Ministry. “Beaux Eaux” collected 20 grocery bags of food.

See full story at http://performingarts.uncg.edu/news/article?a=2013-04-24

Step down to Tate Street May 16 and imagine the scene of exactly 50 years ago.

On the sidewalks, you’d have seen three small groups of Woman’s College (UNCG) students, picket signs in hand, marching. The cinema, the Apple House Restaurant and the Town and College Restaurant were segregated at that time. And many Woman’s College (UNCG) students intended to make a stand.

A circular about the protest listed six student contacts – three were African American, three were white. Apparently two to three dozen actually marched. “The students picketed in groups of 3 to 5 in front of each of the three establishments, in hour shifts during the designated times,” the Carolinian noted. All the marchers were WC/UNCG students.

The women rotated in hourly shifts, to avoid missing any classes.

The student government had voted its support of a student-led boycott of these businesses. And a group of students picketed. They were determined. Marian Thornhill McClure ‘64 said during the recent UNCG Reunion, “Herbie, he was determined he was not going to serve black people.” She was speaking of Herb Apple, proprietor of the Apple House Restaurant, where she picketed. But their collective effort was a success. “It was a matter of wearing them down,” she concluded.

• The students’ signs bore such slogans as “Liberty and Justice For All” and “All WC Students Are Equal.”
• The picketing lasted May 16-22, according to a flyer.
• Both African-American and white students participated in the 1963 Tate Street picketing.
• Participants speak of verbal harassment. Some recall being spat upon or things being thrown at them.

Sina McGimpsey Reid, one of the many organizers, told UNCG Magazine, “There was bravery that was demonstrated…. Some were very courageous.”

See related story of two old friends who marched on Tate Street, in today’s Campus Weekly.

See a complete story of the Tate Street picketing at www.uncg.edu/ure/alumni_magazineT2/2010_spring/feature_tatestreet.htm

The Spartan Stories blog, by UNCG Archives, plans a story on the protest next week, at uncghistory.blogspot.com/.

By Mike Harris

Recycling rivalries added another level of “madness” to March this year, as UNCG competed with more than 520 others in the RecycleMania Tournament, which harnesses the competitive spirit around sports rivalries and uses them to increase campus recycling and waste reduction.

UNCG participated in the eight-week competition in which schools are ranked according to how much recycling, trash and food waste they collect. Between the Feb. 3 kickoff and the tournament’s final day on March 30, participating schools collectively recovered 90.3 million pounds of recyclables and organic materials, preventing the release of nearly 121,436 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E) into the atmosphere.

Locally, UNCG recycled more than 26 percent of its waste during the course of the competition. This recycling rate beat out NC A&T (24 percent), UNC Chapel Hill (24 percent), NC State (22 percent) and ECU (21 percent). Guilford College was one of the top performers in the neighborhood, with a recycling rate of 60 percent.

During this 13th annual tournament, updated weekly rankings allowed schools to track their performance in eight categories – measuring their recycling rate; overall recycling by weight; lowest amount of total waste; and per capita recovery for paper, cardboard, cans and bottles, and food waste. Colleges also participated in several special categories targeting electronics and film plastics, as well as the “Game Day: Basketball” category, which ranked schools based on recyclables collected at a single home basketball game.

UNCG finished 33rd in the National Waste Minimization category, disposing of 17.7 lbs. per capita.

“UNCG should be proud of its performance in Recyclemania this year but there is still much room for improvement for recycling and waste reduction on campus,” said Ben Kunka, manager of Waste Reduction and Recycling at UNCG.

The RecycleMania Tournament is an independent program of RecycleMania, Inc., a nonprofit organization led by recycling managers from participating schools. Complete results for the competition may be found at http://recyclemania.org.

The UNCG Staff Stars represent the best of what UNCG is all about.

Chancellor Brady emphasized this as she presented Staff Stars Awards to 21 members of staff. She read what the nominating co-workers or supervisors had to say about them and their service to the university.

As she read, themes emerged of positive spirit, a ready smile, going above and beyond – and providing a supportive environment for our students.

“You make an incredible difference to our university, our faculty – and to all who call UNCG home,” she said.

The ceremony on a warm, spring day was lighter than it typically has been, with more smiles and even laughter.

Those honored were:
Geoff Bailey, Learning Assistance Center
Bethany Brown, Psychology
Kory Burgess, Housing and Residence Life
Helen Burns, Housekeeping
Ray Carney, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Matt Catanzarite, Center for Geographic Information Science
Jennie Gouker, Undergraduate Student Excellence
Alfred Hanes, Facilities Operations
Andre Hill, Undergraduate Admissions
Jeff Melton, Housekeeping
Katherine Pashal, Parking Operation and Campus Access Management
Bryan Payne, Facilities Services
John Pearce, Facilities Services
Emilie Peterson, Psychology
Trish Plunkett, Undergraduate Studies
Debora Reid, Housekeeping
Audrey Sage, University Libraries
Suzanne Schmutz, Graduate School
Anna Tapp, Center for Geographic Information Science
Pat Turner, University Registrar’s Office
Tom White, Facilities Operations

By Mike Harris
Visual on this page: honorees after ceremony. On CW main page: John Pierce, second shift supervisor in Facilities Services, with Chancellor Brady. Photography by Wesley Brown

The faculty won big. The Animal Shelter won bigger.

“We’ve got a beautiful day for a ball game don’t we,” Ray Carney (Chemistry & Biochemistry) announced from the mound just before the inaugural UNCG Faculty vs. Staff Kickball game. It was part of a drive for the Guilford County Animal Shelter.

“The truck is almost full. If nothing else, that makes it a success,” he said.

Chancellor Brady threw, um, rolled out the first pitch. The National Anthem was played. And Carney announced, “Let the game begin.”

Faculty scored first 1-0. Staff left a runner stranded on third in the bottom of the first.

The Faculty team started a chant: “One to zip, one to zip.” Dr. Vidya Gargeya (Bryan School) and Dr. Beth Walker (Women & Gender Studies), both sporting a large Spartan daisy in their hair, were literally dancing.

Dr. Anthony Chow (LIS) kicked the first home run, to center field.

“Eight – zip,” Gargeya informed the crowd. “Ten – zero, ten- zero,” he announced later in the inning.

Dr. Chris Poulos (Communication Studies) kicked the game’s second home run.

After three innings, the score was 14 to 0, as Faculty dominated. Gargeya and Walker used their bodies to spell out the winning team’s name: CAT HERD.

233 were in attendance, Jason Marshburn (Emergency Management) said.

The first Staff player to score? Kelly Bailey Meris (Graduate School). The scoreboard read 24-2 when the game came to an end.

But the real score was found inside the Animal Shelter drive truck. Doug Taylor (Bryan School) and other members of the Staff Senate Off-Campus Service Committee were still collecting items in the late innings. Seven large containers were full and packed up; two were half-full. About 2,000 pounds of animal food had been collected, he explained. A variety of donations were made, including animal bedding.

Jan Albrecht (ITS) noted that Marsha Williams, director of the shelter, had been on hand. She told them that quantity of donations will save hundreds of animals’ lives, said Albrecht, who chairs the committee. A great team of staff members had been a part of the successful drive, she noted – and that it was a campuswide effort. Plus more would come in, in the following days. “Everyone had a hand in making it successful.”

There is already talk on campus of a rematch next year. Till then, faculty can savor the win.

By Mike Harris
Visual: Dr. Seung-Hyun Lee (Media Studies) boots the ball for the Faculty. Photo by Clayton English.

Many departments and programs at UNCG have adopted UNCG’s Integrated Marketing & Strategic Communication (IMSC) guidelines. They have used the UNCG Brand Guide, taken part in communications lunch & learn gatherings or called on members of University Relations for advice.

And they have created impactful communication pieces – from viewbooks to posters, from brochures to web pages and student guides – that resonate with students, prospective students and other audiences.

Five units were quick to seize upon the results of this IMSC initiative, since its launch last spring:

• School of Education
• Student Affairs
• University Libraries
• Admissions
• Bryan School

Representatives from these five units received special recognition in a ceremony April 25 as effective, early adopters. They have created outstanding communication materials with visual style and wording that help tie their program to the broader university’s branding.

Helen Hebert, associate vice chancellor for university relations, praised them at the ceremony for “pushing the envelope.” She showed striking examples of their work, which serve as helpful examples for other campus departments.

Chancellor Linda P. Brady noted how the communications messaging – with the line “Do Something Bigger Altogether” – resonates with students and prospective students.

We are one university, she stressed. “It is very important that we focus on those characteristics that make us distinctive.”

A campuswide committee of faculty, staff and students gathered three years ago to begin research from the ground up, which would ultimately result in the IMSC guidelines, Hebert explained. Three UNCG characteristics emerged that receive particular focus in this branding communication: community engagement, challenging academics and a supportive environment.

Five years ago, the university lacked a cohesive marketing message. Now our campus has a unifying narrative, she explained.

At the UNCG Brand Guide, those who create materials may find resources for communicating in a manner that aligns with the UNCG brand and helps them meet their marketing and communication goals by highlighting UNCG’s unique strengths.

As one paragraph of the Brand Guide summarizes, “UNCG stands apart not only by the people we attract, but by the difference they make. At our university, what matters in addition to what is taught is how the lessons learned are carried forward. UNCG’s challenging programs, supportive environment and engaged community form a learning experience that empowers us all to do something bigger altogether.”

Next year, Hebert announced, there will be a formal process for a year-end recognition of those effectively leveraging the UNCG Brand Guide and communications guidelines.

Questions? Contact Helen Hebert at hdhebert@uncg.edu or Debbie Schallock at drschall@uncg.edu.

By Mike Harris
Visual on this page: Honorees after the ceremony. On CW main page: Rachel Williams and Dr. Meredith Walther accepted accolades on behalf of the School of Education. Dean Wixson did, as well. Photography by Wesley Brown.

UNCG is known for community engagement and a global outlook. Those characteristics are highlighted now that UNCG is a member campus of the international Talloires Network.

UNCG ‘s membership to the Talloires Network places UNCG within an international community of universities that are committed to strengthening the civic roles and social responsibilities of higher education. Joining more than 280 presidents and chancellors across 69 countries, Chancellor Linda P. Brady has signed the Talloires Declaration on the Civic Roles and Social Responsibilities of Higher Education, a requirement to join the network. Dr. Penelope Pynes, associate provost for international programs, will serve as our university’s liaison to the network.

This additional resource and affiliation will be especially important given UNCG’s chosen QEP topic, Global Engagement, initially proposed by Pynes and Dr. Jerry Pubantz.

Pynes states, “I really appreciate the honor of serving as liaison for this international network. Both internationalism and community engagement are distinctive strengths at UNCG and I look forward to exploring how we can enhance both areas, linking them together more intentionally.”

More information about UNCG’s membership to the Talloires Network, as well as community engagement activities, partnerships and resources may be found at http://communityengagement.uncg.edu/scholarly-resources/engaged-resources.aspx#membership

UNCG faculty are invited to a workshop intended to incorporate sustainability into new and existing courses. On August 12 and 13, 2013, the FTLC, Academic Sustainability Coordinator Dr. Aaron Allen, and faculty and staff experts on sustainability will hold a faculty development workshop to further sustainability education at UNCG. Full-time faculty from any department are encouraged to apply; participants will receive $250 upon successful completion of the workshop.

Applicants should submit one sample course syllabus that will be revised to incorporate sustainability-related content and/or learning outcomes. The course may be one that currently does or does not include sustainability, and it may be one that is currently offered or is planned for future offering.

The deadline to apply is May 10, 2013, and participants will be notified by May 17. The brief application is online at http://form.jotform.us/form/31053813588153 . Address any questions to Aaron_Allen@uncg.edu.

A few shovels and some helping hands did the trick.

On April 22, Grounds and International Programs staff and students gathered to plant a Japanese Maple beside the west side of the Dining Hall, at the newly named Moran Commons and Plaza.

Chris Fay, director of Grounds, noted that Moran was chancellor when he arrived at UNCG – and a lot of great improvements to the grounds happened on Moran’s watch.

Kevin Siler, who has been on the Grounds staff for five years, had prepared the small area at the northwest corner of the building with Tennessee River Stone. The idea, he explained, is that the tree limbs will drape over the stones, for a pleasing effect. And the stones may discourage cut-through traffic as well.

At the same time, other members of Grounds were planting grass seed near Cotten Residence Hall and adding mulch around trees. Later in the morning, phlox would be planted near steps at Grey Residence Hall. Newly moved Chinese pistachio trees were nearby.

Fay explained that work at the Moran Commons & Plaza will continue up until the time of the Moran Commons & Plaza dedication ceremony Wednesday, May 1, 4 p.m.

“The landscaping never stops. We’ll keep improving it till that day.”

Story and photo by Mike Harris.

Spring commencement will take place Friday, May 10, at the Greensboro Coliseum. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m.

Currently, 2,726 candidates for undergraduate and graduate degrees have applied for May graduation.

Complete details may be accessed at Commencement Central.

Have an iPad or iPhone? Or a smartphone perhaps?

UNCGmobile helps you stay connected to UNCG.

This new, free app keeps you updated with UNCG news and events.

Plus you have ready access to the library catalog, course content, campus maps, Spartan Alert, UNCG YouTube channels, Spartan sports, the university public calendar and more.

Todd Sutton in ITS partnered with Blackboard Mobile to create the app. It includes links to other mobile web sites created by other campus developers.

“The app was created to provide a central source for mobile device users to find UNCG resources and information,” explains Sutton, who is university webmaster for ITS.

Details about the UNCGmobile app – including where you can find and install it – are at http://its.uncg.edu/uncgmobile

The UNCG Sustainability Council Sustainability Principles, part of their operating papers, were endorsed last week at the year-end General Faculty meeting. Earlier in the year, Staff Senate and the Student Government Association endorsed them as well.

Scott Milman and Dr. Aaron Allen are current co-chairs of the UNCG Sustainability Council.

They have led the revision process for the Sustainability Council Operating Papers based on feedback from faculty, staff and students.

The papers and principles – in an earlier form – were originally drafted under Dr. Anna Marshall-Baker and Jorge Quintal.

The opening paragraph of the papers state:
“Sustainability in institutions of higher education is characterized by activities that are ecologically sound, socially just, economically viable, and aesthetically engaged. Sustainable institutions emphasize these components in day-to-day operations and in curriculum and research, thereby preparing students to recognize challenges, develop solutions, and model behaviors that contribute to a regenerative, healthful, beautiful, and just world.”

The papers also note that sustainability is one of the core values of UNCG cited in the 2009-14 Strategic Plan.

That plan called for the development of a Sustainability Council that formed during the fall of 2011 to “support activities in academics and sustainable practices.” The papers seen at last week’s faculty meeting articulated the purpose, scope and membership of the Sustainability Council and clarified its operational procedures.

The operating papers also include Sustainability Principles that are broad-based and provide the basis for the development of a university Sustainability Policy.

By Mike Harris

Updated May 1, 10:30 a.m. to correct one name spelling.

A total of 92 UNCG employees completed a new online Personal Wellness Profile (PWP) during a special promotional period this spring. As you may recall, CW helped promote the initiative – one person would win an iPad.

That winner was Cheryl Cross (University Libraries). She tells CW, “The PWP was pretty easy to take.” And that she learned some valuable things as a result.

Additionally, several departments or programs in this promotion won a special Lunch with the Chancellor. These are Sustainability, Academic Assessment and the Warren Ashby Residential College.

Look for another, similar PWP online promotion in the fall, from HealthyUNCG.

The Personal Wellness Profile is a general health assessment that measures overall health and well-being.

If you have any questions regarding HealthyUNCG or the PWPs, email healthy_uncg@uncg.edu.

A federal grant of almost $450,000 will support UNCG’s Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) program as it continues to recruit and train culturally diverse librarians.

The Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian grant program, administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), will provide $442,063 to support the Academic and Cultural Enrichment (ACE) Scholars: New Americans for Community College Librarianship. ACE Scholars is designed to increase cultural diversity in UNCG’s program and in the library and information field as a whole.

Principal investigator Dr. Nora Bird, assistant professor of library and information studies, and co-principal investigator Michael Crumpton, assistant dean of UNCG University Libraries, say increasing diversity in the field is essential to keep up with the changing face of America and the Triad. This award marks the third IMLS grant to fund ACE Scholars. The first grant of $862,000 supported the training of 14 ACE Scholars who completed their MLIS in spring 2011. The second grant of $889,401 supports 20 ACE Scholars, the majority who are expected to complete their MLIS this spring.

Full story at UNCG Now.

By Michelle Hines

The students in SES 460 designed a T-shirt to sell and raise money supporting mental health awareness and to honor the families of Newtown, Conn., according to Dr. Belinda Hardin (Special Education Services). “We raised $339.87 to donate to the Mental Health Association of Greensboro. Also, the parent co-instructor for the course, Andrea Worthington, and an SES doctoral student, Dionne Busio, were instrumental in making sure the project was implemented.” To further raise awareness for mental health, some of the students and faculty in the class participated in The Human Race, a 5K walk in April. SES 460 student Shontria Fonville said, “It brought me great joy to help advocate for individuals with mental health challenges. After such an amazing experiencing and meeting other people with deep passion to help the community, I can only excitedly look forward to showing continued support.”

Visual at the Human Race: Shontria Fonville and Belinda Hardin