University of Arkansas Employees of the First Quarter Announced

Congratulations to the following UA employees who were named employees of the first quarter:

• Professional/non-faculty – academic – Erika Gamboa, project program specialist, pre-college programs.
• Professional/non-faculty – administrative – Griffin McKnight, fiscal support analyst, intramural sports.
• Secretarial/clerical – Michele Payne, administrative support supervisor, Law School.
• Technical/paraprofessional – Sarah Spiegel, library supervisor, Mullins Library.
• Skilled crafts/service/maintenance – Trey Graves, skilled tradesman, Housing.

Resource Groups for Diversity Mapped Out; Members Sought

The Office of Diversity held an information session on Oct. 6 to discuss forming faculty and staff resource groups. Anyone interested in joining one or more of these groups should contact the Office of Diversity no later than Friday, Nov. 6. A resource group must consist of 10 active members to be viable.

As a result of the October meeting, employees showed interest in establishing resource groups for following cultural areas:

• Veteran/Armed Services
• American Indian/Alaskan Native
• GLBT
• Employees with Disabilities
• Multi-Racial/Ethnic
• Asian American
• Hispanic/Latino
• African American
• Free-Thinkers
• Women and Family Issues.

Interested parties will be working with the Office of Diversity to formally establish the groups.

Resource Groups are voluntary, employee-initiated groups of University of Arkansas faculty and staff who share common interests, issues, backgrounds, characteristics or pursuits. Resource Groups will enhance feelings of connectedness, provide opportunities for employees to seek and offer support to one another and create resources for intercultural understanding. Membership on any resource group is open to all faculty and staff at the University of Arkansas.

For more information about joining a resource group, contact Ella Lambey at 575-3338.

Garrison Financial Institute Looking for Retirement Program Volunteer Facilitators

The Garrison Financial Institute, in partnership with the Fayetteville Public Library, is looking for volunteers between the ages of 50 and 70 to be part of a team of discussion facilitators for a new retirement investment education program. The program is made possible by a grant from the Investor Protection Trust. Facilitators should not be financial professionals, but should have good people skills and be interested in retirement investment issues. Volunteers will receive one day of training and a free 12-month subscription to Kiplinger’s retirement report, a $60 value. The Garrison Financial Institute is housed in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. For more information, contact Margaret Burdette at the Fayetteville Public Library, 479-856-7104, mburdette@faylib.org or on the Web.

Students, Staff Receive Artist Fellowship Awards

Sarah K. Moore and Ben Nickol, both graduate students at the University of Arkansas (above), received Individual Artist Fellowships from the Arkansas Arts Council. Matthew Goldberg, a staff member (below), also received an Individual Artist Fellowship.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Two graduate students and a staff member were recipients of Artist Fellowship Awards presented recently by the Arkansas Arts Council at its annual Governor’s Arts Awards ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the Hot Springs Convention Center.

The Arkansas Arts Council recognized Ben Nickol and Sarah K. Moore, both graduate students at the University of Arkansas. Nickol and Moore received Individual Artist Fellowships from the Arts Council. Nickol received one for his work in short stories, and Moore received one for her work in film and video.  

This year, the Arkansas Arts Council awarded nine artist fellowships worth $4,000 each. The fellowship awards are unconditional awards that recognize individual artistic ability. The three categories were contemporary and traditional crafts, short stories, and film and video.

Nickol is a teaching assistant for undergraduate English classes at the University of Arkansas. This year, he was awarded the Baucum Fulkerson Award in Fiction by the University of Arkansas’ English department. A cum laude graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Nickol is currently working on his Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing at the University of Arkansas. Nickol said the goal of his fiction writing is to use humor in a way that adds emotional depth to the problems his characters face.

Moore is a video support specialist in the Multimedia Resource Center at the University of Arkansas. She graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology from the University of Arkansas and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in journalism at the university. Moore worked for three years in San Francisco as a production coordinator and a production assistant. She said she is attracted to experimental styles that incorporate layered imagery and sounds and both traditional and non-traditional animation techniques.

The Arkansas Arts Council also recognized Mathew Goldberg, an academic counselor and mentor for a college preparatory program at the University of Arkansas, with a fellowship in the Short Stories category.

Goldberg earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical and biomedical engineering from Duke University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from the University of Arkansas. He has held engineering positions in Arkansas, Virginia and Texas, and has taught at schools in Maryland, Indiana and Arkansas. In 2003, Goldberg was a finalist for the Iowa Review Award for his collection of short fiction. He received the John Clellon Holmes Memorial Award in Creative Writing from the University of Arkansas and the Truman Capote Literary Trust Scholarship. His work has been published in North American Review, American Short Fiction, Shenandoah, The Southeast Review and The Archive. Goldberg said his writing deals with disconnected characters struggling for connection in a cold world.

The Arkansas Arts Council was established in 1966 to enable the state of Arkansas to receive funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1971, Act 359 gave independent agency status to the Arts Council, with an executive director and a 17-member council appointed by the governor. In 1975, the Arts Council became an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.

As an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, the Arkansas Arts Council shares the goals of all its agencies, of preserving and enhancing the heritage of the state of Arkansas.

The other agencies are the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, the Delta Cultural Center in Helena, Historic Arkansas Museum, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center and the Old State House Museum. Funding for the Arkansas Arts Council and its programs is provided by the state of Arkansas and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Participants Needed for Focus Groups on Generational Issues

Betsy Nesbit, a University of Arkansas doctoral student, is seeking volunteers for focus groups she will use to gather information for her dissertation.

Nesbit is a counselor education student in the College of Education and Health Professions. She is looking for members of the Baby Boomer generation (born 1946-1964), Generation X (born 1965-1981) and Millennials (born after 1981) for her dissertation exploring culture as it relates to generational affiliation.

The focus groups will allow participants to share their perspective on what impact, if any, their generation has on their values, beliefs and general view of life. The sessions will last 90 minutes and will be held at various times through the fall semester in the Graduate Education Building. Most groups will be scheduled Tuesday evenings, Thursday afternoons and Fridays.

Contact Nesbit at enesbit@uark.edu or 803-984-3368 for more information or to sign up for a focus group.

Vice Provost for Diversity to Host Session on Forming Faculty and Staff Resource Groups

The Office of Vice Provost for Diversity will be hosting an information session on forming faculty and staff resource groups. The session will be held at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, in the Multicultural Center.

Resource groups are voluntary, employee-initiated groups of University of Arkansas faculty and staff who share common interests, issues, backgrounds, characteristics or pursuits. Resource groups will enhance feelings of connectedness, provide opportunities for employees to seek and offer support to one another and create resources for intercultural understanding.

This event is open to all faculty and staff at the University of Arkansas. For more information, contact Ella Lambey at 575-3338.

Employees of the Fourth Quarter Announced

The University of Arkansas Staff Senate wishes to announce the Employee of the 4th Quarter Awards for 2008-2009.

They are:

• Category 1 — Professional Non-faculty Academic
  Teresa Scott, Fulbright Advising Center
• Category 1 — Professional Non-faculty Administrative
  Andy Albertson, Law School
• Category 2 — Secretarial-Clerical
  Hershel Hartford, Communications Department
• Category 3 — Technical/Para-professional
  Shirley Thrash, Walton College of Business Dean’s Accounting Office
• Category 4 — Skilled Crafts/Service/Maintenance
  Travis Calico, Housing

Please congratulate them for being selected as Employee of the 4th Quarter.

Roundtable Discussion on New Mail Standards

PMC Solutions-Mail and the United States Postal Service will present a free roundtable discussion from 11 a.m. to noon on August 12 in Room 305 of the Arkansas Union.

The new mailing standards for letter-size booklets going into effect Sept. 8 will be presented. Also bring any questions about mail-piece design or other mailing topics you may have.

Moderators will be Charletta Williams, manager of the Business Mail Entry Unit, and Martha Johnson, mailpiece design analyst from Little Rock.

Contact Doug Norwood, 575-5649 or dwnorwo@uark.edu, for registration.

Water Line Replacement to Affect Service Wednesday on South Side of Campus

On Wednesday, Aug. 5, the city of Fayetteville crews will be replacing a section of water line at the intersection of Dickson and Duncan. In order to replace this section, it will be necessary to shut down the water main serving Dickson street from Garland Avenue to Arkansas Avenue. The water will be turned off at 9:00 a.m., and the outage is expected to last 2 to 4 hours.

The buildings affected are as follows:

• GIBS – Gibson Residence Hall (domestic water)
• GIBX – Gibson Annex(domestic water)
• FNAR – Fine Arts (fire protection)
• CHBC – Chemistry/Biochemistry (domestic and fire protection)
• COGT – Chi Omega Greek Theatre (domestic and fire protection)
• GEOL – Geology (domestic water)
• SEAU – Science Engineering Auditorium(domestic water)
• SCEN – Science Engineering (domestic and fire protection)
• FERR – Daniel E. Ferritor Hall (domestic and fire protection)
• MEEG – Mechanical Engineering (domestic water)
• HEAT – Heating Plant (domestic water)
• PHYS – Physics (domestic water)
• DICX – Dickson Street Annex (domestic water)
• KASF – Kappa Sigma Fraternity (domestic water)

University of Arkansas Ranks 25th in Directors' Cup Standings

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas finished 25th in the 2008-09 United States Sports Academy’s Directors’ Cup standings, it was announced Monday.

The Directors’ Cup is presented annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, the United States Sports Academy and USA Today to the best overall collegiate athletics programs in the country and this year’s standings were announced following the conclusion of the 2009 College World Series when final results were tallied.

Programs are scored for their NCAA Championship finish and may count 20 sports, 10 for men and 10 for women.

Arkansas’ 25th-place finish is the second time the Razorbacks have had back-to-back top 25 finishes. The Razorbacks were 24th last year. The previous occurrence was 1997-98 and 1998-99 when Arkansas was 14th and 19th, respectively.

The Razorbacks were fifth in the always-tough Southeastern Conference trailing No. 3 Florida, No. 9 LSU, No. 18 Georgia and No. 23 Tennessee. Arkansas bested No. 25 South Carolina by two places and 10 points with Alabama in at No. 30 nearly 80 points behind the Razorbacks. The rest of the SEC includes No. 34 Kentucky, No. 39 South Carolina, No. 60 Ole Miss, No. 67 Vanderbilt and No. 100 Mississippi State.

“With extraordinary team and individual athletic accomplishments, exceptional academic achievements and unprecedented community service involvement, our more than 460 student-athletes ensured that 2008-09 will be a school year not soon forgotten by the Razorback Nation,” said Jeff Long, vice chancellor and director of athletics. “Fourteen of our 19 sport programs competed in post-season competition including earning six NCAA regional championship or super regional championships, four Southeastern Conference titles and one NCAA national championship runner-up finish. Congratulations to our student-athletes, coaches and staff on our recognition as a top-25 all sports program.  We look forward to continued success in the Razorback program in the years to come.”

Arkansas scored a program-best 730 points this year behind a solid spring in which the Razorback programs tallied 421.0 points. Arkansas scored 63.0 fall points and 246.0 points during the winter season.

The top-point earning team this past spring was the Arkansas men’s golf team. The Razorbacks played to a runner-up finish at the 2009 NCAA Championships earning Arkansas 90 points.

Baseball was next picking up 83 points after their third-place showing followed by 69 points from men’s track and field. Women’s tennis added 64 points; women’s golf scored 47.5; women’s track and field scored 42.5; and softball scored 25 points this spring.

The Stanford Cardinal won its 15th consecutive Directors’ Cup with 1455.00 points. The Cardinal scored points in 22 different sports, counting 10 of those. The Cardinal had 14 top-10 finishes including the men’s gymnastics and women’s rowing national championships. North Carolina scored 1184.25 points to unseat UCLA for the No. 2 spot. The Bruins, who fell to No. 16 this year, had been second for three consecutive years. SEC member Florida was third with 1172.75 points with Southern California fourth with 1137.75 points. Michigan rounded out the top five scoring 1131.80 points.

The rest of the top 10 were No. 6 Texas, No. 7 California, No. 8 Virginia, No. 9 LSU and No. 10 Ohio State.

For more information about Arkansas athletics log on to ArkansasRazorbacks.com.

Arkansas’ All-Time Finishes in the NACDA Sports Academy Directors’ Cup

Year — Place — Points
2008-09 25th 730.0
2007-08 24th 696.0
2006-07  31st 604.08
2005-06 28th 547.625
2004-05 32nd 521.75
2003-04 27th 591.75
2002-03 31st 530.0
2001-02 35th 540.0
2000-01 36th 454.0
1999-2000 26th 538.5
1998-99 19th 360.0
1997-98 14th 400.0
1996-97 38th 324.0
1995-96 28th 337.0
1994-95 18th 417.5
1993-94 27th 343.5

Top 50 Institutions in the 2008-09 NACDA Sports Academy Directors’ Cup

1 Stanford 1455.00
2 North Carolina 1184.25
3 Florida 1172.75
4 Southern California 1137.75
5 Michigan 1131.80
6 Texas 1105.50
7 California 1072.00
8 Virginia 1059.00
9 Louisiana State 1029.00
10 Ohio State 1015.80
11 Washington 1010.25
12 Arizona State 1001.75
13 Texas A&M 976.00
14 Minnesota 975.75
15 Florida State 945.00
16 UCLA 909.25
17 Duke (N.C.) 891.80
18 Georgia 866.50
19 Penn State 813.10
20 Illinois 808.75
21 Notre Dame 775.13
22 Oregon 757.25
23 Tennessee 746.25
24 Arizona 738.50
25 ARKANSAS 730.00
26 Auburn 720.00
27 Michigan State 708.05
28 Maryland 668.80
29 Oklahoma 656.50
30 Alabama 650.60
31 Nebraska 639.30
32 Louisville 625.50
33 Baylor (Tex.) 611.75
34 Kentucky 607.80
35 Oklahoma State 605.25
36 Missouri 585.30
37 Wake Forest 580.25
38 Purdue 569.63
39 South Carolina 560.75
40 Princeton (N.J.) 537.00
41 Wisconsin 535.50
42 Texas Christian 528.00
43 Miami (Fla.) 491.00
44 Northwestern 483.00
45 Iowa 474.30
46 Virginia Tech 459.25
47 Brigham Young (Utah) 453.75
48 Georgia Tech 452.38
49 Boise State 449.30
50 West Virginia 442.50

SEC Institutions

3 Florida 1172.75
9 Louisiana State 1029.00
18 Georgia 866.50
23 Tennessee 746.25
25 ARKANSAS 730.00
26 Auburn 720.00
30 Alabama 650.60
34 Kentucky 607.80
39 South Carolina 560.75
60 Ole Miss 341.50
67 Vanderbilt 307.00
100 Mississippi State 177.00

Oxford and Vorsanger Honored for Lifetime Contributions to the University of Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Two long-time employees, supporters and friends of the University of Arkansas will be honored when plaques are unveiled during a ceremony in the Administration Building lobby at 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 25.

The first honoree, the late Charles Oxford, served the university for more than six decades. After retiring in 1986, he worked an additional 17 years for the University of Arkansas Foundation. He served in many capacities including professor of chemical engineering, associate dean, vice president and vice chancellor for academic affairs and executive director of the foundation. In 1974 and in 1983, he served as interim president of the university.

Oxford was awarded honorary degrees from the University of Arkansas and the University of Arkansas in Little Rock and was an inaugural member of the Arkansas Academy of Chemical Engineers. The Charles W. Oxford Professorship in Emerging Technologies and the Oxford Lecture Series honor his accomplishments and his service to students, faculty and programs.

The second honoree is Fred Vorsanger. He has been involved in the northwest Arkansas community for more than 40 years. He has served as vice president of finance and administration, executive director of the University of Arkansas Foundation, manager of Bud Walton Arena and mayor of the city of Fayetteville.

Vorsanger has been a member of the University of Arkansas Board of Advisors, the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century Steering Committee and the Towers of Old Main. In 1999, the Arkansas Alumni Association made him an honorary alumnus. During the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century, he and his wife, Doreen, established the Fred S. and Doreen D. Vorsanger Endowed Scholarships in the Sam M. Walton College of Business.

The plaques will serve as permanent recognition of the institution’s appreciation for Vorsanger’s and Oxford’s leadership and commitment to the University of Arkansas.

###

Danielle Strickland, manager of advancement communications
Office of university relations
479-422-3434, strick@uark.edu

Employee of Quarter Awards Announced for Second Quarter of 2008-09

The University of Arkansas Employee of the Second Quarter Awards for the 2008-09 school year have been announced. They are:

• Professional/Nonfaculty/Academic — Karen Stair, Architecture, assistant to the dean
• Professional/Nonfaculty/Administrative — Janet Walker, accountant, intramural sports
• Secretarial/Clerical — Doris Self, switchboard operator II, phone office
• Technical/Paraprofessional — Melissa Longamore, administrative assistant II, mechanical engineering
• Skilled Crafts/Service/Maintenance — Eddie Smith, skilled trades worker, printing services

Congratulations to each of these winners!

Staff Senate Taking Nominations for Employee of Quarter

The Staff Senate announced that it is taking nominations for Employee of the Quarter for the first quarter. Deadline for nominations is Oct. 15. A PDF of the nomination form can be downloaded at http://www.uark.edu/ua/stsenate/eoq_nom.html. Nomination forms can be sent to Lisa Frye, Walton College of Business, WCOB 402, or faxed to 575-3241.

Training Session About Recruitment Process

The Office of Affirmative Action will present a training session on the recruitment process for faculty and non-classified staff. Danielle Wood will be facilitator. The session will be from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 15, in Room 305 of the Arkansas Union.

This class focuses on the three-step recruitment process and its required documentation, the do's and don'ts of interviewing, and recruiting for diversity. Search chairs, administrative staff and support staff are encouraged to attend. After attending this training session, participants will be able to:

1. Discuss why the recruitment process is important within the University of Arkansas System.
2. Identify methods and vehicles for recruiting within diverse populations.
3. Outline and explain the three-step recruitment process.
4. Identify do’s and don’ts of interviewing.
5. Identify University of Arkansas policy and legal requirements for retention of recruitment records.

Please register to attend, either online at http://hr.uark.edu/Training/TrainingCalendar.asp or by calling 575-4432.

Purchase Your Employee Parking Permit for 2008-09

For employees who haven't already purchased an All Area, Reserved, Garage or Faculty/Staff parking permit for the 2008-09 academic year, they should do so as soon as possible. The expiration date for 2008 permits is extended to Friday, Aug. 15. For employees who want to pay for a permit by payroll deduction and want to have 12 monthly deductions, a permit request must be received by the transit and parking department no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 12. Employees wishing to renew their Faculty/Staff, All Area, Reserved or Garage parking permit online and pay by payroll deduction should go to http://parking.uark.edu/ededuct.htm and complete and submit the form.

Employees may also print a copy of the payroll deduction/vehicle registration form from the Web at http://parking.uark.edu/payrollDeductionForm.pdf and fax it to 575-2356.

For employees who select to have a parking permit sent to them by mail, the parking permit should arrive in five to seven business days. Employees who wish to pick up the permit may come to the transit and parking department in the Administrative Services Building between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Employees who wish to purchase a permit in person may do so either at the transit and parking department in the Administrative Services Building between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. or at the parking Office at the Harmon Avenue Parking Garage between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Both offices are open Monday through Friday.

For questions about purchasing a parking permit, please call Carla at 575-4666 or e-mail her at carlah@uark.edu.