Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Candidate petitions for the University Staff Senate are due today. 

The full election call can be found at siue.edu/ugov/staff/elections/2019.

The following positions are available for election:

• Four (4) open seats for civil service: Negotiated and Prevailing classification

• Two (2) open seats for civil service: Open Range/Confidential, Managerial and Supervisory Exclusions classification

• One (1) open seat for administrative staff: Represented classification

• Two (2) open seats for administrative staff: Non-Represented classification

Additionally, seats specifically representing the Alton and East St. Louis campuses will be contested.

• One (1) open seat for the East St. Louis campus representing either the civil service: Negotiated and Prevailing, or administrative staff: Represented classification

• One (1) open seat for the Alton campus representing either the civil service: Negotiated and Prevailing, or administrative staff: Represented classification

The University Staff Senate is the only body designed to advocate for the interests of all non-faculty University employees, including full-time, part-time, grant-funded and all employee classifications.

Statements of Candidacy are due in the University Governance Office by 4:30 p.m. today. Late statements cannot be accepted.

Please visit, Candidacy Forms.

It’s not too late to become involved and shape the working environment at SIUE!

Please join Chancellor Randy Pembrook and the vice chancellors for a Q&A:

9 a.m.
Thursday, March 21
Roller Hall
SIU School of Dental Medicine
Alton

and

9 a.m.
Monday, April 8
Conference Room 2074, Building B
East St. Louis Center

As a reminder, these meetings are open to all faculty and staff. The chancellor invites you to ask questions, have a dialogue and/or express ideas that you might have.

If you would like to submit questions or suggestions to the chancellor in advance of any of the Q&A sessions, please send them to siue.edu/chancellor/suggestions/.

We hope you can attend, and we look forward to your questions.

Faculty are invited to learn about The Common Problem Project, a consortium of five State University of New York campuses that promotes cross-disciplinary teaching and learning, while developing problem-solving skills and civic engagement in students. 

11 a.m. – Presentation: The Common Problem Project
2:30 p.m. –Workshop: The Pedagogy, Practice and Logistics of Doing a Common Problem Project
Thursday, March 21
Faculty Development and Innovation Center, Lovejoy Library 2030

The presentation and workshop will be hosted by James Liszka, PhD, director for the Center for Interdisciplinary and Area Studies, senior scholar with the Center for Ethics in Public Life, and professor of philosophy at the State University of New York Plattsburgh. 

Last year, a committee at SIUE was awarded National Endowment for the Humanities funds to plan the Digital Community Engagement Pathway (DCEP), a program for students who will take a set of core courses emphasizing interdisciplinary research and problem-solving methods. The DCEEP committee has brought in Liszka to share his work on the similarly designed Common Problem Project. 

As a follow up to his presentation, Liszka’s workshop will cover such topics as self-directed learning, basics of problem-solving, benefits of cross-disciplinary teaching and learning, student teams and team dynamics, working with community partners, available resources and more. 

Register to attend the presentation here. 

Register for the workshop here. 

Faculty focus groups have also been scheduled to offer faculty an opportunity to provide feedback on the plans for the DCEP. To participate in a focus group, register here.

You are invited to an open forum for dean of the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB), featuring Dr. Robin Hughes: 

10:30-11:30 a.m.
Friday, March 22
Morris University Center, Oak/Redbud Rooms

SEHHB Dean Search Committee Co-Chairs are Jeremy Jewell, PhD, professor in the Department of Psychology, and Alison Reeves, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership.

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics will host the Colloquium Event: Exploring Trigonometric Relationships: Is it a Function? 

3-4 p.m.
Friday, March 22
Science East Building, room 2204

The guest speaker is Dr. Craig Cullen, assistant professor of mathematics at Illinois State University.

We examined conceptual understanding of preservice secondary mathematics teachers as they reasoned about chord length and arc length in a directed-length representation related to the sine function.

We characterized the ways in which our participants understood the functional relationship between the geometric objects by describing various aspects of their concept images, and the progression of the images over time. Concept image components progressed from less useful to more useful, eventually aligning with components of a standard definition of function and key features of the sine function.

Check out these exciting courses and continuing education opportunities offered by Educational Outreach this fall. 

Please check out the Educational Outreach Spring Catalog to explore the new courses and opportunities that are coming soon!  

Yoga: History and Practice
5-6 p.m.
Tuesdays through April 18
Cost: $10 per session or $85 for all 10 sessions

This beginning yoga class provides the fundamentals and history of yoga principles. Individuals will learn posture alignment and breath work through guided demonstration. Participants will reap the benefits of yoga, including improving balance, physical strength, flexibility, relaxation, increased energy and better digestion.

Food Service Sanitation
8-5 p.m.
Friday, March 22
Cost: $149

This ServSafe® course, conducted by faculty from the Nutrition Program at SIUE, is for individuals preparing for the exam. After attending the ServSafe® course and passing the proctored, multiple-choice exam with a score of 75 percent or higher, participants will receive a ServSafe® certificate. To receive and maintain certification, all individuals are required to pass a certification exam every five (5) years. Course fee covers the cost of the most recent edition of the ServSafe® manager book, online exam and learning materials.

Breads of the World
5-8 p.m.
Monday-Wednesday, March 25-27
Cost: $129

This course will take the knowledge learned in Artisan Breads I and II and apply it to complex bread making. You will learn how to create and bake breads from around the world, including Brioche, Challah, Mediterranean and many more! Artisan Breads I and II must be taken before participating in Breads of the World. You will be able to take all recipes and finished products (20-30 loaves of bread) home. All ingredients will be provided for the baking process. Please bring an apron, notebook and pen!

Batman: History of the Dark Knight
5-6:30 p.m.
Tuesdays, March 26-April 30
Cost: $49

This course will examine the history and origins of Batman, his supporting characters and the villains, by looking at the actual comics and multimedia throughout the years (radio, film, television, animation, video games). Each session will be dedicated to a different decade (from the 30s to the 90s). Some critical writings about the character will be used.

Ayurveda
5:30-7 p.m.
Tuesdays, April 3-May 8
Cost: $49

The term “ayurveda” translates as “the science of life.” Traditionally, it partners with yoga to provide a basis of personalized and natural healthcare. This course will explore the basics of ayurveda theory, including personal constitution, seasonal changes, lifestyle and daily regimen suggestions.

Art Therapy Conference: Creating an Inclusive Space by Dismantling the Sociopolitical Construction of Sexuality
9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Saturday, March 30
Cost: $75 for the general public, $40 for SIUE faculty and $10 for SIUE students

In this workshop, we will learn about the historical sociocultural construction of sex and gender that led to the two-sex binary model (male and female). We will also learn how inaccurate and harmful this model is, as it does not include the biological and psychological reality of many. Even within the binary model, the sociocultural construction of 'female' sexuality has been physiologically inaccurate and harmful.

Increasing one's understanding and comfort with sexuality is vital for creating a space in therapy for all clients. Incorporating a sex-positive approach in one's practice begins with increasing one's understanding and knowledge around sexuality, as well as one's awareness of internalized cultural biases and beliefs. Using art making and dialogue, we will establish a space to learn about the cultural messages that we have and begin to create space for a healthier, more inclusive understanding of sexuality.

For more information and to register for these amazing opportunities, please visit the educational outreach website.

It's time for another Science and Engineering Research Challenge (SERC) at SIUE! This year’s event will be held on Saturday, March 23. 

Once again, we need volunteers to help us with this important event to support participating students and their science aspirations. Please consider sharing your time by signing up to help. 

Also, please share this judge sign-up link with anyone else you think may be interested. More information on the event, including a tentative schedule, is available at SIUESTEMCenter.org. 

Contact the SIUE STEM Center at 650-3065 with any questions. 

Thanks for everything you do to help promote STEM in southern Illinois!

Alumni Association Annual Trivia Night

6-11 p.m.
Saturday, March 23
Edwardsville American Legion

Gather your team and join us for a night of trivia, silent auctions, a 50/50 raffle, a "decades-themed" team costume and table decoration contest, and more!

Registration for a team/table of eight is $200, with all proceeds from the night benefitting SIUE student scholarships and alumni programs. The first place team will win $350, and second place will win $200.

A cash bar will be available. Teams are invited to bring their own food and snacks, but no outside alcoholic beverages please.

Visit siue.edu/alumni/trivia to register your team. Contact Nick Niemerg at 618-650-3630 or nniemer@siue.edu with any questions.

The SIUE STEM Center announces its FY20 Faculty Research Fellowship program. 

The competitive fellowship is open to tenure-track or tenured faculty members in any discipline, including arts, humanities and social sciences topics relevant to STEM. Fellows will collaborate with STEM Center faculty and staff to conduct undergraduate education research that explores innovative models for student engagement in STEM. 

The STEM Center seeks to fund projects that have the potential for contributing to improvements in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teaching and learning at SIUE. Projects that will develop, test and study innovative instructional practices with the potential for replication across departments are especially encouraged. 

Details are available at siuestemcenter.org/stem-research-fellowship. 

Applications are due Monday, March 25 and award(s) will be made by Monday, April 1.

The Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center will host a blood drive on campus:

10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Tuesday, March 26 and
Wednesday, March 27
Blood Mobile, Hairpin

To schedule an appointment, please create an account at bloodcenterIMPACT.org and use sponsor code 9828.

Please reference information regarding eligibility requirements and the donation process here.