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Hybrid and Flex Courses
by K. Murphy
1-Nov-2007

Hybrid and flex sound like characters from the recent Transformers film, but the terms do assert the spliced and variable natures of these courses. You might be noticing more of these flex courses and the newer hybrid courses on class schedules throughout the Asian Division. Having some experience with both formats, I thought I would take a minute to discuss them, with an emphasis on the newer hybrid courses. First, here is the syllabus introduction to my hybrid ENGL 102:

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Faculty-Student Symposium on Graduate School.
by Jeff Sypeck
13-Sep-2007

From Friday, September 14, through Sunday, September 23, more than fifteen faculty members will be on hand in English 900, the Online Student Club, to answer students' questions about the graduate school experience. We hope to cover everything from the protocol of asking for letters of recommendation to the ups and downs of the job market they'll encounter afterwards.

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Asia IT Implements New Trouble Call System
by Daniel Vogel
22-Aug-2007

The Department of Information Technology is implementing a new system for tracking and responding to trouble calls and work requests. This in response to a high volume of IT work requests being handled by a very small number of staff.

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Effective Writing Center
by Jim Booth
18-Jul-2007

The EffectiveWritingCenter (EWC) is a set of online services and resources for helping your students to improve their writing and for supporting faculty in working with writing issues.

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Course designators changing
16-Jul-2007

Please note that several course designators are changing term 1: EDCP 101 becomes EDCP 103 -- ENGL 101 becomes WRTG 101 -- ENGL 291 becomes WRTG 291 -- ENGL 391 becomes WRTG 391 -- ENGL 393 becomes WRTG 393 -- ENGL 394 becomes WRTG 394.

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Writing Across the Curriculum
an invitation
by K. Murphy
27-Jun-2007

The demand for college students to write essays in the full spectrum of their courses--social sciences, humanities, and sciences--is not new, nor is the initiative for preparing them for this challenge. Students will certainly be assigned essays in their history, sociology and psychology classes. And in English and art appreciation and any of the humanities, it goes without saying they will be dipping the nibs of their pens in ink.

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The Flex Course
on the horizon
26-May-2007

As you probably know, UMUC Asia is holding a workshop to discuss the design of the flex course. I will be attending the workshop and will report what I learn. Below I have a tentative definition of the flex course. It will undoubtedly change during the workshop, and I will post a new definition and try to answer any questions you e-mail me.

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Online student-faculty symposium on graduate school
Help our English majors
by Jeff Sypeck
6-May-2007

Dear colleagues: Hello! I'm Jeff Sypeck, the faculty coordinator for English 900, the Online English Club. I'm writing to ask for your participation in a project that I hope will benefit our students: an online student-faculty symposium on graduate school, which I'd like to hold in the English 900 WebTycho classroom this coming September.

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Retention until the Final Final
by K Murphy
7-Apr-2007

We who teach the EDCP 101, ENGL 101, LIBS 150 and SPCH 100 courses are frequently the first to greet the students at the gates of higher education--and we may be the last instructors to see them. Often the courses that students fail are the basic math and writing courses, and it has long been my belief that these early classes are the most challenging courses in college. As you know, many of our beginning students have not taken courses of any kind for years, and so may not have gotten into the habit of study, be prepared to set aside sufficient time, or be physically capable of staying sharp until that last class ends at 10:45. Often students have not yet developed the study skills that will get them through their later courses. In our writing courses, there is no place to hide--no multiple choice leeway here. Writing is thinking, and the essay shows pretty clearly what students know--and don't know. And several essays in eight weeks seem particularly daunting to those who may not have had traditional success in high school and see the threat as being almost personal.

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Text changes on the horizon
2-Apr-2007

EDCP 101- Fawcett: Evergreen: Guide to Writing came out in a new edition in November '06. I expect most will see it beginning term 1.

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Teaching English in Khao Lak
A most pleasant working vacation
by K. Murphy
22-Feb-2007

As Maryland instructors in Asia, we are often rich in time, blessed with almost three months off a year. If your New Year's resolution contained a vague resolve to give back to others less fortunate this year, you might consider realizing that goal by volunteering to teach English to Thai and Burmese refugee children in Khao Lak.

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Information Literacy For All
High-Level Colloquium on Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning
29-Jun-2006

"Information Literacy lies at the core of lifelong learning. It empowers people in all walks of life to seek, evaluate, use and create information effectively to achieve their personal, social, occupational and educational goals. It is a basic human right in a digital world and promotes social inclusion of all nations."

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New Mode of Delivery for F2F LIBS150
Beginning in Term II (October, AY 06-07)
by Robert L. Rosser, Ph.D.
29-Jun-2006

t a meeting on June 21st, the Director, Dean, Area Directors, Academic Directors, and other administrative personnel accepted my proposal for the new mode of delivery of LIBS150 across the Asian Division. At the meeting I presented a brief history of LIBS150 outcomes, a rationale for the new mode of delivery, and a process by which faculty will be assisted in implementing it. 

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Spring 2006 Newsletter Available Here
Special Article: Online Submission of Grades
by Robert L. Rosser, Ph.D.
24-May-2006

Click to read the Spring 2006 Newsletter in High Quality PDF format.

David Norris Receives Drazek Award!
7-May-2006

The English, Communications and Humanities Department is proud to announce that David Norris is a 2006 recipient of the Stanley Drazek Award for Excellence in Teaching. Dave holds a B.S. in business administration from the University of Richmond, and a B.A. in English and an M.A. in English and English Education, both from Virginia Common-wealth University. Before joining UMUC he taught at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College and aboard ships with the PACE program. Dave is also a published writer of both poetry and prose. His work appears in a number of different journals. Since joining UMUC in Asia in 1987, he has taught at several  locations throughout Korea. In his own words, Dave reveals the motivation underlying his life as a teacher:

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Middle States Visit to Europe and Asia Highly Successful
by Susan B. Aldridge
12-Apr-2006

I would like to acknowledge the effort and careful planning of all who worked on the complex visit logistics and who provided the team members with a vivid and compelling picture of the quality of education that we deliver to our military students overseas. Thank you all very much.

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Hot New Items from Library Services!
Bob Rosser sez: "You really oughta' check these out!"
by Information and LIbrary Services
13-Feb-2006

New e-Journal Subscription

• The Chronicle of Higher Education
  ILS is pleased to announce the addition of The Chronicle of Higher Education to our collection of e-journals. The subscription includes a backfile from 1989 to the present, daily news and advice columns, job postings, discussion forums and RSS feeds. Current issues are posted online on the Monday following release of the print edition.
  This resource can be accessed through the ILS E-journals page at: http://www.umuc.edu/library/database/ejournals.html by scrolling past the Journal Finder search box to the alphabetical list, where a direct link to The Chronicle of Higher Education is provided. The ILS Education and Distance Education Subject Guides also provide access to the journal and are available through http://www.umuc.edu/library/database/databases.html#subjects.

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Message from Susan B. Aldridge, UMUC President
by Office of Communications
12-Feb-2006

It is with great pride that I announce some very exciting news regarding UMUC's service to the U.S. military. UMUC-Europe has deployed faculty members and field representatives to Afghanistan.

The field representatives will work with the U.S. military's educational service officers to provide information on the University's educational programs, enroll military members in UMUC courses, and offer a full range of academic services while U.S. troops are stationed in the country.

We will deploy more faculty and staff to Afghanistan in coming weeks and determine which UMUC courses to offer on U.S. military installations there based on the needs of soldiers and the availability of faculty.

These are not typical assignments. Our colleagues deserve the highest respect and thanks for serving the University and our students in what will be quite adverse conditions. It is this exemplary commitment to nontraditional students that has made UMUC an extraordinary university and the world's leading distance education provider.

I want to personally thank Joe Arden, John Golembe, Allan Berg, and Rachel Zelkind for their tireless attention to detail and invaluable oversight in these preparations, as well as various UMUC-Europe administrative offices for their very important contributions.

Expect to receive updates in FYI Online from our colleagues in Afghanistan. Thank you all for your dedication to UMUC students.

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Visit to Okinawa, Nov-Dec 2005
What a smart looking group!
27-Jan-2006

ENGL COMM HUMN Faculty Meeting in Okinawa (l to r) Elizabeth Fullon, Dale Paxman, Barry Pollick, Leann Cragun (hiding behind Bob!), Bob Rosser, Robert Hairston, Daniel Broudy, Kevin Murphy, Don Maloney, Peter Wodarz [Click "more . . ." for another pic.]

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Fall '05 Newsletter for ENGL COMM HUMN
Special Article: Worldwide Summit at Adelphi in July
by Robert L. Rosser, Ph.D.
23-Oct-2005

Click to read the Fall Newsletter in High Quality PDF format.

Textbook List for AY 2005-2006
The most current list of textbooks in ENGL COMM HUMN
by Bob Rosser
23-Oct-2005

The following table includes required and alternate textbooks for courses in ENGL COMM and HUMN in UMUC Asia. Please note that supplementary materials and earlier editions are also listed when available.

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Watch Webcast of Heeger's State of the Union
"We are where we ought to be," says Provost Nick Allen
by Bob Rosser, for the Office of Communications
2-Jul-2005

On Thursday, June 16, President Heeger and Provost Allen (who will assume the presidency on an interim basis at the end of August) addressed faculty and staff at a town hall meeting in Adelphi. They spoke about the transition and the search for a successor to President Heeger, and touched on other initiatives such as the Middle States re-accreditation self-study effort.

President Heeger reviewed the growth and changes that took place over his tenure. It's a fascinating look at the shift from a predominantly Overseas population to the Stateside boom in Distance Education.

UMUC'ers in Asia and Europe will find these talks especially interesting. To view the town hall meeting, your system must have the RealOne player (also known as Real9) or RealPlayer 10. To access the Webcast, go to http://polaris.umuc.edu/cvu/mmedia/townhall200506.ram

Information and Library Services
New Look for the Library Web Page
21-Jun-2005

When you click on the ILS Web page http://www.umuc.edu/library, you'll now notice a leaner, cleaner look. Based on a usability study conducted with students and faculty last fall, ILS re-arranged links and resources to make it easier for you and your students to find the information you need. Instructional pages were also revised by eliminating repetitive information and adding screen shots to help you and your students navigate and locate different resources and services. We welcome your feedback on our new look! Please e-mail ILS at library@umuc.edu with your comments.
New Full-text Psychology Database
Sage Full-Text Collections: Psychology is a significant addition to UMUC's resources in journals. The main focus of the Sage collection of 30 e-journals is psychology, but it is also a good source for research on the psychological aspects of business, management, and education. Many of the ILS databases link to the collection so that articles from Sage psychology journals will be accessible in full text when searching the databases.
 

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Constellation
Celebrating the creative genius of UMUC faculty
by Bob Rosser
30-May-2005

I recently mailed you a hard copy of the latest Constellation, UMUC's celebration of faculty creativity. There is also a .pdf version that can be viewed at this link.
http://www.umuc.edu/diversity/Constellation-for-online.pdf

Note especially the contributions by Mong-Lan Pham and Joel Friederich.

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Spring Newsletter Available Here
Special Article on Course Approvals
by Robert L. Rosser, Ph.D.
15-May-2005

Click to read The Spring Newsletter in High Quality PDF format.

Remember that LIBS 150 Survey You Did?
Revision of LIBS 150
by Bob Rosser for Beth Mulherrin
14-May-2005

• Since LIBS is also delivered f2f overseas, the content needs to be revised to be more compatible with those classes (less emphasis on USMAI libraries, for example)
• The recent survey showed majority support for revising and renaming the pretest, requiring a scavenger hunt activity, and requiring a citation and annotation activity.
• Final exams will be generated from a test bank of items grouped by course objectives
• Grading weights will change to 20% final exam, 20% participation (conference discussions, activities), 20% activities/quizzes (we're hoping we can automate and update the current self-assessment questions) and 40% research log.
• The Research Log will be revised to be submitted in four steps, not one, as a  cumulative assignment. The Log will focus on 3 search tools in 3 steps, and include specific citation elements, as well as evaluation/annotation, for each type of source. The fourth step will be citation

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Good Links for ENGL COMM and LIBS 150
Check these out. They're all good.
by Bob Rosser
13-May-2005

http://www.writing.northwestern.edu/thesis.html
Title: THE ALL-IMPORTANT THESIS STATEMENT
Description: This site from Northwestern University takes the mystery out of formulating good Thesis Statements. Check it out!

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New Textbooks for LIBS 150 and COMM 390
One new alternate; one new trial
by Robert L. Rosser
24-Feb-2005

For those instructors who teach LIBS 150, you now have three choices regarding textbooks. You may choose not to use a text at all. You may choose the Bolner text we've used for quite some time. Or you may choose Research Strategies for a Digital Age by Bonnie L. Tensen (Boston, Mass: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2004). ISBN: 0-15505-984X

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