Faculty and staff are invited to attend the Northeast Indiana Career Enrichment (NICE) Job Fair, Tuesday, April 15, and meet with more than 100 employers. The largest career fair in northeast Indiana will be in the Gates Athletics Center Field House from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. This is a great opportunity for faculty to talk to industry experts and learn what skills employers are looking for in candidates.

      Students will receive free lunches and LinkedIn profile pictures at the career fair. A prep session for students will take place April 14 in Kettler Hall, Room 109, with drop-in hours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To view the list of employers and find additional information, visit the NICE Career Fair website. Questions? Contact IPFW Career Services, 260-481-0689. 

The Tuition Incentive Program is a campus-wide initiative to increase enrollment and graduation rates by providing an incentive to students who have stopped short of completing a bachelor's degree. IPFW is offering a scholarship of 50 percent off regular tuition to select qualifying students who register for classes starting in fall 2014. Selected candidates will receive an official letter from the chancellor starting this week.

      For more information, visit the website. Campus staff is invited to call 481-6542 with any questions. 

Due to changes in staffing and budget considerations, effective April 1, Purchasing will not have clerical support and the buyers in the Purchasing department will be restructured in the following manner:

• Jennifer Schillo---- Buyer, primarily handling Physical Plant commodities, public works, furniture, and flooring
• Pam Thompson---- Buyer, primarily handling all IT equipment, scientific and lab equipment and supplies, including gases; athletic and recreational supplies and equipment. Training on Ariba system.
• Pat Rosalez---- Buyer assistant, primarily handling apparel, advertising, books, promotional items, resolving issues with missing orders, and scheduling Kettler Hall, G98

Purchasing will add part-time clerical support July 1. The main office number, 481-6800, will be answered by an auto-attendant that will offer answers to common questions and route to Purchasing staff as selected. Further details on commodities [PDF] 

Costco does not accept Mastercard nor will they accept Purdue's tax exemption; therefore, university purchases should not be made at Costco. IPFW has a business membership with Sam's Club through the Purchasing office. Please visit the IPFW Purchasing website for details on the use of this membership. Gordon Food Service is also a good choice for purchasing hospitality items with the appropriate Purdue p-card.

The Brown Ink Society invites you to attend this year's Brown Ink Fundraiser, Friday, April 25, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Steel Dynamics Keith E. Busse IPFW Alumni Center. The evening will feature appetizers, wine, gourmet beers, music, and a silent auction.

      Upon the recommendation of faculty and staff, the society provides grants of up to $300 to academically deserving students faced with financial emergencies that would significantly but temporarily disrupt their studies. Details, reservation form [PDF]

With the increased focus on enrollment and successful degree completion, it is vital that students know that it is time to register for fall classes so they won't miss the courses  they need. Faculty members, please take a minute at the beginning of each class and remind your students that priority registration starts Monday, March 31. Online instructors could share a posting reminding students about fall registration. You might also remind students that tuition is not due until August 22. Some students are under the misconception that early registration means they have to pay earlier. Registration timetable 

The 2014 Student Research and Creative Endeavor Symposium will take place Friday, March 28, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the bridge linking Walb Student Union and the Helmke Library. More than 100 undergraduate and graduate students----more than any previous symposium----will present their research in a public forum with prizes awarded for excellence. An awards ceremony recognizing the best student research will take place at 2:45 p.m. in the IPFW Learning Commons on the 2nd floor of Helmke Library. Read the story 

Staff members at all Purdue campuses are invited to view "Creating a Culture of Service," part of the Hadley Leadership Series. The event will be streamed live April 29 from 2 to 4 p.m. in Walb Union, Room 114, or you can watch it from your desktop. Participants will learn how to:

• Establish service goals and standards to support the IPFW and Purdue mission
• Provide relationship vs. transactional service
• Review constructive vs. destructive communication techniques using real work situations
• Maintain relationships when working with difficult people and situations

The Office of Student Life is still accepting nominations for the Student Achievement Celebration. Don't miss your opportunity to nominate a deserving student, staff, or faculty member for their work with IPFW students. Awards include:

• Student Organization Advisor of the Year Award
• Award for Service to Students
• Students' Choice Award for Teaching Excellence 

Nominations will be accepted through Wednesday, April 2. Details, nomination form 

The Special Education Program will host a free event on Autism Spectrum Disorder from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 1, in Neff Hall, Room 251.

    Participants will learn about autism through interactive activities, video clips, and resources/information. The event is being supported by the IPFW Special Education Program. Light refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact Jeong-il Cho, 481-6454.

IPFW Diversity and Multicultural Affairs and the Three Rivers Art Center for Kids (TRACK) invite you to a special community event for Women's History Month, Thursday, March 27, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Walb Union International Ballroom. "An Evening of Cultural Expression" will feature speakers, live music, a dance performance, live theatre, and refreshments. View event schedule [PDF] 

Men's basketball welcomed Akron to the Gates Center last Tuesday in front of a crowd of 1,466. The Dons were victorious in the first round of the Collegeinsider.com Tournament (CIT), 97--91, behind a game-high 23 points from Luis Jacobo. The second round of the CIT wasn't as kind to the Dons, who traveled to Virginia Military Institute and lost 95--106. The team finished the year with a 25--11 record, the most wins in the program's Division I history.

       Women's basketball also played in a post-season game last Tuesday, coming up short against the University of Illinois-Chicago, 71--84, in the Women's Basketball Invitational. Amanda Hyde finished up her career with the Dons with a game-high 25 points, and the team finished the year with a 15--15 record.

      The no. 14 ranked men's volleyball team won both of its matches last week, sweeping Grand Canyon Thursday evening and winning in five sets on Friday evening. The team has won the last 14 of 16 matches, tying the school record for best record through 21 matches in a season, the same as in 1998 and 1999. The Dons will travel to no. 11 Lewis University Thursday, a contest of top teams in the MIVA conference. The team will return Saturday to face off against the conference leader and no. 1 ranked team in the country, Loyola-Chicago, at 7 p.m.

 

Upcoming games at the Gates Center:

• Men's volleyball vs.  Loyola-Chicago, Saturday, March 29, 7 p.m. 
• Men's volleyball vs. Quincy Friday, April 11, 7 p.m. 
• Men's volleyball vs. Lindenwood, Saturday, April 12, 7 p.m.