Today at UHD.....
Participate in UHD's online Advisory Straw Poll on proposed new
names.
Student Research Conference from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Evaluations on Provost candidate Perkins due by 6 p.m.
Academic Assessment adds AIM Reviewer Training sessions.
One Main Event recognizes student organizations this evening.
UHD Northwest Open House attracted prospective students and their families.
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Take UHD's Advisory Straw Poll on proposed new names

UHD has prepared an online advisory straw poll Web site on the two proposed
new names for the University of Houston-Downtown -- City University and Houston City University.
Participants are asked to identify themselves as students, faculty, staff or alumni, and each person can complete one questionnaire. You can access the Web site directly at this link: https://global.dt.uh.edu/eservices/uhdsurvey/?testflag=open
You can also reach the Web site via a Name Change Straw Poll icon in the upper left corner of the e-services page at this link: http://uonline.uhd.edu/?testflag=open
Participants are also invited to visit the Web sites of other universities to see how they've taken advantage of their "City" names and locations.
The straw poll will remain open for faculty, staff and students until 11:30 p.m. Friday, May 14. Alumni will have until 11:30 p.m. Friday, May 21, to give them time to receive notification in the upcoming issue of New Horizons.
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UHD Alum is keynote speaker for 2010 Student Research Conference today
The UHD Community is
invited to the daylong 2010 UHD Student Research Conference (SRC) from 8
a.m.
to 3:30 p.m. today in the
Wilhelmina Cullen Robertson Auditorium.
Students from across
the disciplines will present research in
the form of talks and research posters.
Registration and refreshments will be offered between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. and
UHD
President Bill Flores' 9 a.m. welcoming remarks will be followed by
keynote
speaker Vedangi Sample, left, a UHD alumna who is now a pre-doctoral fellow at
Johns
Hopkins University. She will speak on "In Living Color: Real-Time
Tracking of
Nuclear PKA Activity Dynamics."
A flier on the 2010 SRC
is available here.
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Prospective students and their parents attended UHD Northwest Open House

UHD hosted dozens of prospective students and their family members Thursday during its UHD Northwest Open House at the Lone Star campus at State Highway 249 and Louetta. Several faculty, staff and students set up information booths to welcome visitors. Food, entertainment and games also combined to provide a party atmosphere for the event, which included a visit from KRBE-FM (104.1) radio personality Special K.

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Evaluations due today on Provost and Senior VP candidate Perkins' UHD visit
 The UHD Senior Vice President and Provost Search Advisory Committee is interested in perceptions and impressions of all candidates and is attaching an evaluation form on the recent visit of candidate Kyle Perkins from Florida International University. Please providing a rating and comments and return the form to Doug TeDuits via email at teduitsd@uhd.edu by 6 p.m. today.
In the photo above, Perkins, center, talks with College of Business Dean Don Bates, left, and Akif Uzman, right, chairman of the Department of Natural Sciences, during his visit to the UHD campus 28, when he met in an open session with faculty and staff. He served in FIU's
College of Education as a professor of teaching and learning and was vice
provost of Program Review and Assessment there from 2004 to 2009.
Before moving to FIU in 2003 as the vice provost for Budget
and Operations, Perkins enjoyed a 27-year career at Southern Illinois
University-Carbondale. There he was associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts (1985 to
1991), led planning and budget functions for academic affairs under various
titles from 1992 to 2002, and took a lead role as Interim Provost and Vice
Chancellor (2002.)
He holds a bachelor's degree in English from Union College
(Barbourville, Ky.), a master's degree in linguistics from SIUC and a Ph.D. in
linguistics from the University of Michigan. For more details on his visit, visit the Provost Search page on the UHD Web site.
UHD's Provost Search Committee has been working to identify finalists for the position since longtime Provost Molly Woods announced she'll be stepping down.
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Annual One Main Event for student organizations this evening
The One Main Event, UHD's annual gala to recognize outstanding members of the University's student organizations, is planned for 7 to 11 p.m. tonight at the Hilton Americas, 1600 Lamar St., Houston.
All 350 tickets to the event have been sold. For information about the event, contact Liza Alonzo at 713-221-8682 or AlonzoL@uhd.edu.
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Academic Assessment adds additional AIM Reviewer Training sessions
The Office of Academic Assessment has added two Assessment Information Management (AIM) Reviewer Training sessions on Thursday, May 6, and Friday, May 7, in addition to its remaining "Closing the Loop" sessions on May 4 and May 18.
These sessions are open to faculty, department assessment coordinators, deans and department chairs.
Register for assessment training at the links
below. For questions or to schedule individual sessions, please call
713-226-5594. Upcoming sessions include:
- Closing the Loop
3 to 4 p.m., Tuesday, May 4, N-1099 9 to 10 a.m., Tuesday, May 18, N-1099. Register here. - AIM Reviewer Training, both sessions set for Room A-717
3:30 to 4:15 p.m., Thursday, May 6 9 to 9:45 a.m., Friday, May 7. Register here.
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Office of Community Engagement offers two scholarships for 2010-2011
The
Office of Community Engagement is offering two $1,000 scholarships during the fall and spring
2010-2011 semesters.
These scholarships are given in memory of Hussain Begum (1921-1974), a woman
who exemplified community
engagement. A story on her life and accomplishments is attached. The requirements for each
scholarship are: sophomore standing, 2.7 GPA, full or part-time
student and two letters of recommendation. Details on the scholarships can be found here.
These awards are based on evidence
of service or volunteerism and the likelihood of continued commitment to local,
national or international nonprofit agencies. The applicant should submit a
two-page reflective essay of his or her aspirations. Contact Jean DeWitt,
director of community engagement, for more information.
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14th annual Sports & Fitness Awards Banquet coming up May 21
Register now for the 14th Annual Sports & Fitness Awards Banquet scheduled for 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 21, in UHD's Special Events Center. Register at the Student Life Center before Monday, May 3, and tickets are $5 apiece; after Monday the price goes up to $10.
The annual event includes a dinner and celebration for UHD athletes who participate in UHD's numerous sports programs. An after party is scheduled at Bamboo. Remember, no tickets are available at the door, so please purchase them early. A banquet flier is available here.
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UHD team will participate in weekend Buffalo Bayou Dragon Boat Festival
The 10th Annual Texas Dragon Boat Festival - which includes a UHD boat racing team - will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 1, at Allen's Landing, Commerce and Main streets.

Thirty dragon boat racing teams are signed up for competition along Buffalo Bayou. UHD's 2008 team, pictured above, started the team tradition here.
UHD's Dragon Boat Team Captain Bryan Nguyen, coordinator of graduate and international recruitment, hopes to continue and expand participation, which this year includes 25 UHD staff members, students and faculty. Synchronization and teamwork are keys to success in dragon boat races, and this year's UHD team looked pretty good in a recent practice, Nguyen said..
UHD will face competing teams from Rice University, the Houston Astros, ConocoPhillips and many other local companies and institutions. The free daylong event includes entertainment, educational and
cultural booths, food and games. For more information, check out the Festival's Web site at www.texasdragonboat.com. Back to Top
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Electronic newsletter for students is now available through GatorMail
Please advise your students that an electronic newsletter, The Landing, is now available for them and is distributed through GatorMail, the University's main communications delivery system for students.
The first editions are archived on the Public Affairs web page at: http://www.uhd.edu/publicaffairs/landingarchive.html. An oft heard student comment is that they don't use GatorMail. FERPA requirements places limits on the collection and use of student information. The collection of students private, personal email addresses and the direct, forwarding of protected university communications fall under those requirements. However, students have some options to improve communications via GatorMail.
Ideally, students would find the Landing's contents valuable enough
to look for in GatorMail. However, students can set their GatorMail to notify them via a personal email account (i.e. Gmail, AOL, Hotmail, Yahoo) that they've received a GatorMail message. That way they will be notified when they receive an issue of The Landing, along with other GatorMail messages.
To receive a notification email, students can go to their GatorMail account and open the "Options" tab, select the "Mail" tab and select the checkbox for "Enable address for new mail Notifications." Then, they type the address they want the notification sent to in the message box. Click "Save" and the notification feature should be enabled. A set of instruction is available here.
The Landing email address is thelanding@uhd.edu.
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Administrative Professionals Workshop & Luncheon April 28 honored UHD workers who keep things running

Photos show members of UHD's administrative professionals staff, who were honored April 28 with a workshop and luncheon as part of Administrative Professionals Week, a longtime international workplace recognition. The event, entitled "Power of Commitment," featured food, door prizes and more.

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First Aid certification classes continue, CPR certification scheduled next week
This semester's final first aid certification course continues today, and the final CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) certification class is set for May 6-7.
Register through UHD Sports & Fitness for these American Red Cross Training classes, which provide certification for one year. UHD students, faculty and staff pay $5 for the training, and classes are limited to the first 15 people who pre-pay. For more information on these sessions, click here.
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Student Poetry Reading planned in O'Kane Theatre May 4
The UHD community is invited to a Student Poetry Reading from 6:30 to 8 p.m. followed by an Open Mic session onTuesday, May 4, in the O'Kane Theatre.
Pre-registration is required for those who want to participate in the formal poetry set from 6 to 8:30 p.m. For more information or questions, contact student Martha Rubio at 832-466-7907. A flier is available here.
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Staff Awards celebration May 7 recognizes outstanding employees
UHD's annual Staff Awards extravaganza is set for 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, May 7, in the Special Events Room.
See who wins this year's Awards for Excellence and Fun Awards in a celebration that will feature food and door prizes. Please wear your UHD Service pins to show how many years of service you have earned. For more information, visit the Staff Council Web site or click on the attached flier.
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Committee seeks stories from faculty who were
first-generation students
UHD is currently identifying and developing resources that
will contribute to UHD's proven success in recruiting, retaining and graduating
first-generation students (FGS).
Neither parent of these students has graduated from college. The FGS Committee
needs UHD faculty and staff who were first-generation students to tell the
stories of their lives as first-generation students. Stories will appear
on a UHD FGS webpage, which is currently being developed in support of the
Wal-Mart grant that was recently awarded to UHD.
There are two ways to contribute your FGS story: On or before June 15, please write your story and send it,
along with an optional photo of yourself, to Wayne Schmadeka.
1. For story ideas, refer to
the stories on the Cal State Fresno
website. 2. When writing, please follow the story-writing guidelines.
Record your story on video. 1. For
story ideas, refer to the stories on the Cal State Fresno website. 2. When scripting the video, please follow the
video-scripting guidelines.
If you have questions or concerns, please contact, Wayne Schmadeka (schmadekaway@uhd.edu,
cell 713 854-7070).
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UHD's Annual Student Awards Program planned for May 5
UHD's Annual Student Awards Program to acknowledge outstanding academic achievement in the various colleges is set for 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, May 5, in the Wilhelmina Cullen Robertson Auditorium and in the Special Events Room. Refreshments will be served starting at 6:15 p.m.
Representatives of UHD's five colleges will give outstanding students plaques or certificates recognizing their academic achievements. Faculty are encouraged to attend to congratulate their students and meet students' families and friends.
Contact Rosemary Sanchez at 713-221-8003 or SanchezR@uhd.edu with questions on the event.
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UHD Sports & Fitness offers Healthy Seminar on MyPyramid Tracker
UHD Sports & Fitness plans another in its series of Healthy Seminars, this time on the MyPyramid Tracker eating system, from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 5, in Room 998-South.
This free seminar, open to the UHD community, is limited to the first 15 people who pre-register by calling 713-221-8481 or e-mailing Rhonda Scherer. For a flier on the seminar, click here.
MyPyramid Tracker is on online nutritional and physical activity log that can analyze eating and exercise habits and compare them to USDA recommendations, which include eating foods in the grains, vegetables, fruits, milk and meat and beans categories daily. Studies show that people who record their eating habits are better at weight loss and maintenance.
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Math final exam reviews scheduled for May 4 and 5
Students can get an early start on a great final exam score with review sessions for Math 0300, Math 1300 and Math 1301 on May 4 and 5.
Students can take a short practice test and bring a copy of the Final Exam Review with them to the review session. Final reviews can be downloaded from http://cms.uhd.edu/qep/algebra or purchased from the Copy Center in the Bookstore. MATH 1301 Tuesday, May 4 Day: 9 am - Noon - Room A-436 Evening: 5 - 8 pm - Room A-405 MATH 1300 Wednesday, May
5 Day: 9 am - Noon - Room A-436 Evening: 5 - 8 pm - Room A-436 MATH 0300 Wednesday, May
5 Day: 9 am - Noon - Room A-405 Evening: 5 - 8 pm - Room A-405 A flier is available here.
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Professor will speak in Rockdale on George Sessions Perry
History professor Garna Christian
will speak on "George Sessions Perry and Hollywood" on May 5 at
the 100th anniversary of the Texas writer's birth in Rockdale, Texas.
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Facilities Management will test fire protection systems May 17-28
Facilities Management will perform semi-annual testing and
maintenance of the campus fire detection / notification / suppression systems
(and related elevator fire service re-call, air handler shut-downs, fire-door
hold-open devices and stair pressurization controls) beginning May 17 through May 28. All campus buildings will be addressed during this period. Due to the size of the systems, the contractors involved and the
cost of the labor required to do the work, this testing must be performed
during normal business hours. Please consider this an opportunity for the
university community to become familiar with these fire and life safety systems
and the campus emergency public address system. An announcement will be made over the PA system prior to the
alarms being sounded to inform the occupants of the test. The alarms and strobe
lights will then be engaged briefly and certified by the technicians. An
announcement will be made after the conclusion of each segment of the audible
and visual alarm testing. Thank you for your cooperation. Questions can be sent to: Chris McCall Assistant V.P. - Facilities Facilities Management Department University of Houston - Downtown 713.221.8030 mccallc@uhd.edu
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UHD joins Federal Direct Student Loan Program in Fall 2010
Starting with the fall 2010 semester,
UHD is joining thousands of other U.S. higher education
institutions in the Federal Direct Student Loan Program, meaning students with federal
Stafford, Grad PLUS and Parent PLUS loans will borrow their funds from the
federal government instead of from multiple private banks and credit unions. UHD's participation in the Federal Program will have little visible impact on students and their families. However, having one lender - the U.S. Department of Education - will make the process
much more efficient for schools and borrowers.
The
change necessitates only minimal action on the part of students (and parents
who wish to borrow through the PLUS program), who need only to sign a new
Master Promissory Note (MPN) and complete Loan Entrance Counseling if they
haven't done so already. Students can visit www.studentloans.gov to complete the MPN and
Loan Entrance Counseling process.
As
part of direct lending, the Stafford direct loan is exactly the same in terms
and conditions, interest rates and loan fees as the FFEL (Federal Family Education Loan). The Grad PLUS loans
and Parent PLUS loans will benefit from a lower interest rate of 7.9 percent,
as compared to 8.5 percent in the FFEL program.
Federal
direct loans offer other advantages, such as more flexible repayment plans,
easier tracking and a greater possibility of loan forgiveness for students who
perform public service after graduation.
Most
loans will remain with their current service provider. However, due to the sale of loans to the U.S.
Department of Education, the Office of Student Financial Aid highly encourages
students and families to pay very close attention to mailings from their loan
provider. Letters with repayment information were sent to those who were
affected by the sale.
Borrowers
can also track their federal loans online through the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). Visit
Direct Loans FAQ for more
information.
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Help support National Police Week, get blue ribbons from UHD Police
 The University of Houston-Downtown Police Department invites the UHD community to pick up a complimentary blue ribbon to show support for National Police Week May 9-15.
The number of ribbons is limited so get yours as soon as possible. Ribbons are available at the UHD Police Department headquarters, Room 118-North, or the parking office at 354-North.
The blue ribbon tradition started several years ago when a group called Concerns of Police Survivors encouraged the general public as well as police cruisers to fly blue ribbons from their car antennae during National Police Week. The resulting sea of blue shows support for police officers on the street and for those who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
UHD Police thank the University community for its continued support.
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Career Services internships and employment opportunities
Career Services has several internships and employment opportunities available. Here is just a partial list to share with students:
ARES Corporation - Engineer Bank of America/Merrill Lynch Wealth Management - Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Internship Bikes Online - Operations Rep Boy Scouts of America - District Executive, entry level BPSOS, Inc. - Disaster Case Management Program Manager Corporate Collaborations - Senior Specialist, Controls & Policies Council for Environmental Education - Summer Intern Dominos Pizza - Upper Management Paid Internship Fort Bend ISD - Applications, Senior Applications, Sharepoint and Web Programmers Houston A+ Challenge - Performance Coach Lamar State College, Orange - System Support Specialist Literacy Advance of Houston - Bilingual Program Coordinator McConnell Jones Lanier & Murphy LLP - Entry Level Staff Auditor Missouri City Municipal Court - Internship Professional Golf Ball Services - Accounting Assistant Reliant Park - Cashiers and Parking Attendants Smith and Associates - Human Resources Clerk Student Conservation Association - Conservation Collaborative (HCC) Coordinator Texas Department of Banking - Financial Examiner V-VII TPI Staffing - HR Systems Coordinator, HR Administrative Assistant, VP Audit, Inside Sales, Website Developer, BAS General Manager, Engineer-Field Service, Embed. Software, Sim. Software Univision Radio - part-time Board Operator KQBU and part-time Traffic/Continuity Coordinator
For more information or to apply for these internships and
employment opportunities, students should visit the jobs4gators
Web site. Career Services has nearly 200 positions in its database. Back to Top |
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IT Training for Faculty-Staff-Alumni
Register for IT training
opportunities at the links below. To schedule a one-on-one appointment or other
assistance, please call 713-221-8200.
Blackboard Learning Management
Today 9 a.m. to noon - Blackboard: Open Lab
See all current IT training available |
The Skyline eNews is produced daily by the Office of Public Affairs and
you will receive the Skyline eNews via email while you are a UHD
employee. We update our email list weekly. The eNews is a University faculty and staff newsletter and is designed to keep employees informed of university activities, policy changes, human resources issues, business office information and security information.
The deadline for submitting items is 9 a.m. the day before publication. Past issues are archived on UHD's Web site. The archive link is in the lower right column.
We are always interested in your activities. Let us know at least 24 hours in advance so we can include your event in the Skyline eNews. We also try to photograph University activities, but we need to know when and where your event is taking place. Email skylinenews@uhd.edu or call Public Affairs at 713-221-8010. | |