Archive for May, 2007
May 31, 2007
The spring issue of Guilford College Magazine is online at http://www.guilford.edu/about_guilford/news_and_publications/magazine/mag_spring07.html.
The issue includes features on environmental sustainability commitments, forensics, theatre studies and principled problem solving, as well as coverage of the men’s basketball team’s success last season.
Click here to view a video clip featuring Vernon Tyson ’53, subject of the viewpoint essay: http://www.guilford.edu/about_guilford/news_and_publications/VernonTysonClip.html
The magazine is a publication of the Office of Communications and Marketing.
May 31, 2007
President KENT CHABOTAR has signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, distinguishing Guilford as one of four colleges or universities in North Carolina (along with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Warren Wilson College and Haywood Community College) and the first Quaker-founded college nationally to sign the pledge to date.
The Presidents Climate Commitment aligns Guilford with more than 250 institutions of higher education across the country who have pledged to address global warming by neutralizing their greenhouse gas emissions and accelerating research and educational efforts to equip society to re-stabilize the earth’s climate.
“Guilford has a long-standing commitment to environmental protection that has been re-affirmed by signing the Presidents Climate Commitment,” Chabotar says. “However, it will not be enough just to sign the commitment. We must invest time and money to support sustainability efforts that our students and employees are ready and able to accomplish. Our Shore Hall solar panel project is an example of such initiatives. Let’s hope that other institutions, inside higher education and out, do the same if our planet is to survive into the twenty-second century.”
Under Chabotar’s presidency, Guilford has seen increasing commitment to sustainability. In 2005-06, the Sustainability Council was established to direct college initiatives to increase environmental sustainability on campus and in the community. In 2006-07, this group of students, faculty and staff received $50,000 in funding from the president.
As part of the Presidents Climate Commitment, Chabotar will create a comprehensive institutional action plan to move towards climate neutrality. In the short term, Guilford will take the following concrete actions:
- Work towards adoption of green standards for buildings, following U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) construction guidelines;
- Develop geothermal and solar energy projects; and
- Encourage public transportation.
These efforts build on Guilford’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, including such efforts as:
- Adoption of green cleaning technology;
- Continued use of public transit systems;
- Expanded and improved recycling program;
- Development of water reduction projects; and
- The recent installation of 12 solar panels on Shore Hall.
JON VARNELL, associate vice president of operations and facilities, says, “We believe [The Presidents Climate Commitment] will bring cohesiveness to the sustainability efforts of the college while doing our part to be global citizens. Endorsed by the Board of Trustees and signed by the president, this agreement has the ability to not only bring our sustainability efforts across campus together, but provide an added level of energy to those efforts.”
The Presidents Climate Commitment is the first such effort by any major sector of society to set climate neutrality – not just a reduction – as its target. This undertaking by America’s colleges and universities is inspired by efforts like the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, and other collective efforts by states and businesses.
“Colleges and universities must lead the effort to reverse global warming for the health and well-being of current and future generations,” said Michael Crow, President of Arizona State University and a founding member of the ACUPCC Leadership Circle. “On behalf of all the signatories, I welcome President Chabotar to the commitment. We are honored and pleased to have him join us.”
The American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment is a high-visibility effort to address global warming by garnering institutional commitments to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions and to accelerate the research and educational efforts of higher education to equip society to re-stabilize the earth’s climate. Under the guidance and direction of the Leadership Circle of presidents, the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment is being supported and implemented by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), Second Nature and ecoAmerica.
May 31, 2007
The Beacon will observe a summer schedule this year and will be published every other week from June 1 through August 10. Submissions will be due by 5 p.m. on Wednesday of each publication week.
The publication schedule will be:
June 1
June 15
June 29
July 13
July 27
August 10 (resume weekly distribution)
Questions about the Beacon should be directed to Virginia Ferguson in the Correspondance Center, 316-2268 or vferguso@guilford.edu.
May 31, 2007
Students from Guilford will be able to complete a master of business administration (MBA) degree at the Bryan School of Business and Economics at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in a shorter time than normally required through a new agreement announced between the two institutions.
Under the agreement, Guilford students are to begin taking classes at UNCG in the spring of 2008. They will be able to earn an MBA in as few as 15 months by earning six hours of graduate course credit during their senior year and completing undergraduate courses to waive 12 semester hours of basic level MBA course work.
Ordinarily, a part-time UNCG MBA student will take six credit hours per semester, resulting in a six- to eight-semester time period to complete the program in the Bryan School.
The Accelerated MBA Program meets an objective of The Strategic Plan for Guilford College 2005-2010: Creative Leadership for the 21st Century, in which the college desires to expand its academic community by creating academic program alliances with other institutions in North Carolina. The college will continue to offer baccalaureate degrees exclusively.
The program is one of several alliances Guilford and UNCG are in the process of creating. Other undergraduate-to-graduate programs under consideration are sport studies/sports management and computing and information technology. The college and university are also exploring shared access to study abroad programs.
“Guilford College is delighted to be academically allied with UNCG to offer joint programs that benefit our students and optimize our resources,” said President KENT CHABOTAR. “By intentional initiatives such as this, the college strengthens its undergraduate programs and becomes a supplier of students to graduate programs.”
Faculty from UNCG’s Bryan School will teach the graduate-level courses to Guilford seniors pursuing the accelerated MBA degree. The six semester hours of graduate course credit will be in courses beyond the credit hours required for the baccalaureate degree, and will normally be offered in the evening at Guilford, but may be offered at UNCG or another site.
Guilford seniors participating in the program must earn at least a grade of “B” in any courses used to waive basic level MBA courses, and they must have a minimum overall 3.0 grade-point average. Admission to the MBA Program will be through the UNCG Graduate School with the support of the MBA Program Office. The usual admission requirements, including GMAT scores and grade-point averages, must be met for admission to the MBA Program.
The Bryan School is the largest of UNCG’s six professional schools, with 450 graduate students and 2,100 undergraduates. It is accredited by AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), and is among the top 10 percent of business schools nationwide that have earned accreditation at the undergraduate and graduate levels in both business and accounting.
Guilford had 363 business management majors when the 2006-07 year started, the most for any academic program at the college. Ninety-five majors were traditional-aged students and 268 majors were adult students.
The Accelerated MBA Program has the approval of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), the accrediting body for colleges and universities in the Southeast.
For more information, contact the Bryan School at 334-5338 or visit www.uncg.edu/bae.
May 30, 2007
The Office of Human Resources has received electronic and hard-copies of the Basic Life Insurance and Long-Term Disability certificates issued by Prudential Life Insurance for all eligible full-time employees.
The certificates can be seen at http://notesdb.guilford.edu/HumanResShrdDocs.nsf?. If you would like a hard-copy version, please visit Human Resources.
May 30, 2007
Upcoming off-campus staff professional development/training opportunities
- “The Ultimate Supervisor,” CareerTrack Training, Holiday Inn Airport, July 19. $129 per person.
- “Microsoft Excel Techniques,” Compumaster Training, Clarion Hotel Airport, July 26 and 27. $399 per person.
- “Managing the Front Desk,” CareerTrack Training, Clarion Hotel Airport, Aug. 9. $149 per person.
- Full-day, 3-level courses in MS Access, MS Excel, MS Word, MS Powerpoint, New Horizons Computer Learning Center, various class dates from Aug. 1 through Dec. 13. $225 per day.
Contact Human Resources at 316-2134 for more details.
May 23, 2007
Human Resources announces an opportunity for staff professional development.
The new Staff Professional Development Plan is designed to provide the opportunity for staff employees to attain new skills or knowledge in a manner that will enhance a staff member’s performance and be of specific benefit to the department and/or college. This program is intended to be a complement to, not in lieu of, departmental professional development funding. Funding for employees is limited to one $250 award each fiscal year.
Eligibility criteria:
- Employee must hold a full-time, benefits-eligible staff appointment
- Employee must have been employed for at least one consecutive year as of date of application
- Employee must have formally requested the funds from home department (If no funding is available in the department, this award will pay up to $250 toward expenses. If the department can cover some of the costs, then this award will cover the remainder of the expense up to a maximum of $250.)
- The workshop or training must be for a work-related purpose
- Employee does not have other means to cover the full costs of participation
- Employee must have approval of supervisor to apply for this award
The applicant will need to allow at least 30 days from the time the application is submitted to the time for registration or travel. The applicant must complete the attached application form and return two copies to the director of human resources. Supporting documentation consists of information about the conference, meeting, or seminar for which funds are requested, preferably something from the host company or agency. Additional information to be included is documentation referring to the formal request to your department head for support to attend the function, and its denial. The workshop or training must be for a work-related purpose. All appropriate signatures must be included before the application will be considered.
After receiving the application, the director of human resources will verify eligibility by confirming all employment-related qualifications. The director of human resources will review the application and either approve or deny funds based on the compliance with criteria listed above, the requested amount, and the work-related appropriateness of the function. The director of human resources will notify the applicant as soon as a decision has been made concerning the request. If approved, the applicant may proceed with program and/or travel arrangements.
The applicant will be responsible for filing a travel claim or initiating an expense transfer request for reimbursement. After approved travel and/or program participation is complete:
- Send completed travel voucher or expense transfer request to the Director of Human Resources for account approval and processing.
- The director of human resources completes form by inserting appropriate organization and account number and forwards form to Business Office for payment.
One program/travel award (maximum of $250) may be awarded per staff member in a fiscal year until funding is gone. The college’s fiscal year is from July 1 to June 30. If the applicant has received an award for the current fiscal year, but must submit an application in the same fiscal year to fulfill the 30-day application requirement, please note on the application that the travel will take place in the next fiscal year. This will ensure the application is not denied based on a previous award.
The plan documentation and application form can be seen at
http://notesdb.guilford.edu/HumanResShrdDocs.nsf?OpenDatabase. The plan starts on July 1, 2007, and runs through June 30, 2008, or until funds are exhausted. Human Resources will periodically post local area workshop and seminar opportunities in the Beacon.
May 23, 2007
JAMES SHIELDS, director of the Bonner Center for Community Learning, was the featured speaker at the High Point Historical Museum’s annual meeting May 22. His topic was “Reclaiming the Past: Stories of the Underground Railroad in Guilford County.”
May 23, 2007
The Allen and Rachel Weller Memorial Student Sculpture Competition has been won by TIMOTHY GRAU ’08 for his welded steel sculpture “Distracted Thoughts.”
The Allen and Rachel Weller Memorial Student Sculpture Competition takes place every two years and is open to all students who have completed Sculpture I, Guilford’s introductory sculpture course. The panel of competition judges includes three art professors, gallery director TERRY HAMMOND ’81 and President KENT CHABOTAR.
Grau, an art major from Baltimore, Md., created “Distracted Thoughts” as an homage to the American sculptor David Smith. His submission was selected from a group of three finalists in the first fully competitive field for this award. The sculpture will be on display for two years in front of Hege Cox Hall.
Grau’s sculpture professor, DAVID NEWTON, says of the shiny blue sculpture, “Its interlocking squares rising up two round poles perfectly implies the way one thought leads to another when we’re daydreaming. At over seven feet tall, it commands the area in front of the building in an airy and fanciful manner.”
The Allen and Rachel Weller Memorial Student Sculpture Competition is named in honor of Allen Weller, a former art history professor, and his wife Rachel, who were strong supporters of the arts at Guilford and donated many works of art to the Guilford collection. Their daughter, former Friends Center Director JUDITH WELLER HARVEY, continues this tradition of support and interest in the arts at Guilford.
May 22, 2007
CARYN STONE ’07 will compete in the orth-South Senior All-Star Game June 16 in Downingtown, Pa. One of 40 students selected from a field of approximately 80 seniors, she will play for the South team and is the first Guilford student so honored. The annual contest is part of the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association’s 2007 STX Farewell Lacrosse Festival.
Stone, a defender, earned Second Team All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference recognition for the second straight season in 2007. She ended her career with a personal-best 15 points (5 goals, 10 assists) in 17 games. Her 39 ground balls ranked second on the team and she placed third with a career-high 20 caused turnovers. Stone caused four miscues and picked up five ground balls, both season highs, in the Quakers’ March 24 ODAC win over Bridgewater College. She also picked up five ground balls against league-rival Roanoke College April 7 and scored twice in the Quakers’ March 31 win over Randolph-Macon College.
Stone, a team captain, leaves Guilford as the school’s career leader with 61 caused turnovers and ranked ninth with 132 career ground balls. She earned honorable mention All-ODAC recognition in 2004.
Coach MATTHEW GROSSO’S Quakers posted an 8-9 overall record, 4-4 in the ODAC. The team returned to the ODAC Tournament for the second straight year, but fell in the quarterfinals to Roanoke, 10-7.
