New Kid on the Block: UALRTeach

This guest post is from Michelle Brand Buchanan, assistant director of UALRTeach. For the uninitiated, UALRTeach began this semester as a program for future STEM teachers to learn and get early classroom experience. Continue reading “New Kid on the Block: UALRTeach”

Top 5 (Other) Reasons to Attend GradFest

This week’s guest post is from Aresh Assadi, a counselor with Counseling and Career Planning Services. There are several obvious reasons to attend GradFest (order your cap and gown, graduation announcements, class ring), but Aresh shares a few others you might not know: Continue reading “Top 5 (Other) Reasons to Attend GradFest”

GradFest Offers One-stop Planning

Students who plan to graduate this fall should stop by GradFest between 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Oct. 10 and 11 in the lower concourse of the Donaghey Student Center.

Continue reading “GradFest Offers One-stop Planning”

Top 10: The App Edition

Chances are, some of you are reading this on a mobile device in between a Words With Friends game and checking your bank account. Smartphones have become ubiquitous, and technology has come a looooooong way since the Zack Morris phone (yeah, I went there).

We can do a lot with this little gadget, from balancing a budget to turning into amateur auteur.  And has there ever been an easier way to win a trivia argument? The applications are endless, as anyone browsing iTunes or Google Play can attest. So to save you the trouble of searching for the best apps, here’s a list of favorites from a select group of tech-minded people on campus (and elsewhere):

10 Mixel – So you’ve got Instagram. Good for you. Now get Mixel, which lets you take those photos and turn them into magazine-worthy collages.

9 Waze – A crowdsourced traffic and navigation app that will tell you where to avoid driving if there is a snag or accident. Also shows gas prices!

8 iReddit – If you are a fan of the website Reddit, then iReddit is the natural next step. For those unfamiliar with Reddit, it compiles the best of the world wild web. Lots of humor, lots of snark, lots to love.

7 Pocket – Once upon a time, this app was called Read It Later. Which is exactly what it does – save anything you find online to look at later.

6 WWF – We know what you just thought. But it’s Word With Friends, only the most addictive game that is also educational.

5 WeatherBug – This app is a must-get for the alerts, which are fast and sharable.

4 DropBox – How did we ever live without this? Store photos, videos, documents to access anywhere.

3 MyFitnessPal – One of the best calorie counters out there (what Freshman 15?). It’s got more than 1.8 million foods stored in its database. If a food isn’t on the list, this app lets you scan the barcode to add the info. Bonus: Exercises, goals and reports.

2 Evernote – A life-improving app if there ever was one. Take notes, create to-do lists, record audio, save webpages and Tweets.

1 UALR Mobile – (Shameless plug) It’s pretty handy, from the map and trolley tracker to the library and directory. Those who were using the standalone Blackboard Learn app can find it (and more) in UALR Mobile.

All in a Day’s Work

It could have wound up being a Sisyphean feat when the Office of Communications decided to bring 14 graduates to campus for one frenetic day of interviews, photo shoots, and video for our Grads @ Work campaign.

The mission was explained simply enough: Line up times for our alums to arrive, sit in hair and makeup, mug for the camera, and get interviewed with the tape rolling. But x14? It had to go like clockwork. How it all transpired that day followed pretty closely to that agenda, thanks to a hefty dose of teamwork (props to Robin for her before-the-big-day organization).

Although, in the thick of it, it did feel a little like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOxfJjtK508

Our latest Grads @ Work were an energetic and open bunch. We were moved to laughter and tears, often in the same interview.

There’s Lupe, who knew as a child in California that she was destined to be a teacher. Barb and Richard went back to school and found careers that speak to their passion – helping others. While it took Stephen and Chris a little longer to find their place, once they did, there has been no stopping them in the tech field.

It was such a joy to hear their stories, and we welcome the many other Grads @ Work out there with their own UALR stories to share. So keep ’em coming!

First Week is in the Books

And what a week it’s been! The campus is abuzz with activity, just as we like it.

Instead of telling you how much fun it was, we’ll show.

These videos were created by the very talented Benny Scroggins over in Campus Life.

Welcome to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock! The convocation ceremony marks the beginning of students’ academic journey, providing them an opportunity to assemble as a class and – with the drama and regalia of the academic processional and recessional – foreshadow their graduation celebration.

Welcome Week 2012 kicked into gear with free food, school supplies, and caricatures by Jim Tindall at the Back to School Bash.

Wild River Country, August 22, 2012. This event was just one of many Opening Week and Welcome Week events enjoyed by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock community.

Bowen Named Innovative Law School

PreLaw magazine has recognized the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law as one of the nation’s most innovative law schools in its 2012 Back to School edition.

Class is in Session

It’s an aphorism we all know by heart here in higher ed: Learning never stops. Being on a college campus opens doors to so much more knowledge than you can ever imagine, and if you’ve tried out our class search, you know that UALR offers courses on everything from accounting to zoology. The search is a pretty handy tool – just look at the classes we found that we’d love to take:

My pick: History of Rock

No offense to Jack Black, but I think David Richeson’s class is music to my ears.

Music History and Literature (MUHL) 3351 Section 01 (CRN: 62835) A study of the evolution of rock music from its pre-rock origins to the present. Three credit hours.

Donna’s pick: Medicine, Miracles, and Magic: Early History of Healing in Medieval and Renaissance Europe

Sounds like the doctors put the sorcerers out of business.

HIST 5312 A holistic examination of various ways in which Europeans sought to cure disease in pre-modern time. Magic, folk cures, and miracles, as well as the work of physicians, apothecaries, and barber surgeons. The emergence of medicine as a profession and a science. How university-trained physicians came to dominate the healing professions.

Meaghan’s pick: Guiding Young Children

Since I’m soon to be the mom of two rowdy boys, I could use some insight into teaching self-discipline.

Subject Early Childhood Education (ECED) 3300 Section 01 (CRN: 60166) Prerequisites: Admission to early childhood education program and concurrent enrollment in ECED 2300 and 2400. Students will learn theoretical bases and developmentally appropriate practices in guiding young children toward socialization and self-discipline. They will also learn how to design and maintain effective learning environments in a multicultural setting. Students will apply guidance strategies in field placement and design a developmentally appropriate guidance and classroom management plan. Three credit hours.

Judy’s picks: Intro Metalsmithing/Jewelry and Fiction Writing 1

I’d take fun-for-me-classes: jewelry making and creative writing. These are two great teachers. I took Dr. Jauss’ first fiction writing class years ago and learned so much.

Intro Metalsmithing/Jewelry
SubjectApplied Design (ARAD) 3320 Section 01 (CRN: 60966) This course is an introduction to principle techniques involved in jewelry making and metalsmithing. Basic fabrication, forging, forming, connections (hot and cold), surface treatments, and finishing methods will be covered. An emphasis will be placed on the students’ mastery of problem solving, layout and design, and attention to effectively speak about their work and evaluate the work of others. Three credit hours.

Fiction Writing 1
English (ENGL) 3318 Section 01 (CRN: 60985) Prerequisite: ENGL 2336 or consent of instructor. Study and practice in the writing of fiction. Class discussion/workshop and individual conferences. Three credit hours.

Angela’s pick:
I would take anything taught by Jeff Walker  over in Criminal Justice.  I always learn something fascinating every time I sit in on one of his interviews.

Susan’s pick: Criminal Evidence
I’d take “Criminal Evidence” because Donna and I both share an odd fascination with crime documentaries and dramas.

Criminal Justice (CRJU) 3301 Section 990 (CRN: 62472) Prerequisite: CRJU 2300. An analysis of the legal problems associated with the investigation of crime; the acquisition, preservation, presentation of evidence; principles of proof in criminal proceedings.