It is that time again- the New Year! A new year for many people means making resolutions. We have all done it – optimistically decided to get fit, manage stress, eat right, stop smoking, etc., only to give up before the end of January. There are many reasons we fail. But if you have decided to make a change in the New Year, here are a few tips to help you make this year a success:

• Choose a resolution that is meaningful to you. Many of us choose a goal because we feel we “need” to, not “want” to. Choose something that you really desire, not something that you “should” do or that you think will please someone else.

• Research your options and make a plan. For example, don’t try to quit smoking cold turkey without a plan. Look for a smoking cessation group or talk to your physician about prescription or over-the-counter medications that might help.

• Be realistic. Don’t set yourself up for failure by making your goal unattainable. For example, running a marathon on February 1 would be unrealistic for someone that is currently sedentary. A more realistic goal might be to achieve 30 minutes of moderate activity several days each week. Build on that weekly or monthly.

• Take small steps. Set a realistic goal and then break that goal into smaller ones. For example, if the goal is to lose 30 pounds, don’t try to lose 10 pounds the first week. Realistic weight loss is about one to two pounds per week. Break up your 30 pound goal into four to five pounds of weight loss per month.

• Share your resolution with a positive friend or family member. Choose a person that will support and encourage you, not nag you.

• Reward yourself. Celebrate even small successes by doing something you enjoy that doesn’t contradict your resolution. Get a massage, go to a movie with a friend, or buy that new CD you’ve been wanting.

• Expect to fall off the wagon. Learn from your mistakes and don’t beat yourself up. Prepare for setbacks and have a plan to get back on track as soon as possible.

If you have a fitness-related resolution, the Recreation, Fitness, and Wellness department can help – for free! We have something for almost anyone. If you are new to exercise and don’t know where to begin, or if you have been exercising and are looking for a change, schedule a fitness consultation. One of our student fitness consultants can design an exercise program just for you. We offer a wide range of group exercise classes: low intensity, stress relieving Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates, water body sculpting, step, cardio kick, etc. We even offer a couple of dance classes – hip hop and Zumba! We offer several incentive programs. You can participate and get free stuff! If you enjoy competition and athletic activities, checkout our intramural and special events schedule.

For more information, visit our website at www.usi.edu/rfw. Let us help you get started on the right foot!

POST CONTRIBUTED BY: STEPHANIE WALDEN-SCHWAKE, assistant director of Recreation, Fitness, and Wellness.

The 2008 calendar year is coming to a close, but this is just the beginning for the USI student athletes. The Screaming Eagles are concluding exciting fall campaigns with more to come during the spring.

Overall, USI Athletics ranks third in the GLVC All-Sports standings, just 1.5 points out of second place.

The fall was highlighted by the USI men’s and women’s cross country teams, who showed everyone that they are the class of the GLVC and a force to be reckoned with in the NCAA Division II.

The men’s program, after replacing nearly all of their top runners from a year ago, won their fourth straight GLVC title and the fifth in six seasons.

The USI men’s cross country program has won more conference titles (16) than any team in any sport in GLVC history.

The Eagles also advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championships for the fourth straight year, where they placed 15th. Senior Bryan Phillips led the way, earning All-America honors.

The women’s team won its first GLVC crown since 2003 in dominating fashion, but just missed going to the NCAA II National Championships. Junior Mary Ballinger made history by becoming the first women’s cross country runner to earn All-America honors for a second straight season, placing a program-best 10th at the national championships as an individual.

In an exciting finish to its season, the volleyball team made a run in the GLVC Tournament before bowing out in the championship game. The Eagles entered the tournament as the third seed from the West Division before defeating a number two and one seed for a chance to play for the conference title.

The winter sports have started with a bang with the men’s basketball program re-emerging into the national spotlight. The Eagles, who re-entered the top 25 this week, are in the middle of an eight-game winning streak that includes a win over third-ranked Florida Southern and a pair of road victories in the GLVC.

Senior forward Anthony Pimble, who was a preseason All-American, leads the team in scoring, but has had a lot of support from a new cast. Junior guard Marvin Gray and junior forward Brandon Russ each earned GLVC Player of the Week honors the last two weeks.

Despite a rough GLVC road trip, the women’s basketball team has shown improvement with the bulk of its home games still to come. The Eagles will play nine home games in the final two weeks of December and in the month of January. New sophomore guard Ellen Young leads the Eagles in scoring, while senior center Brittany Neuman was named GLVC Player of the Week in the opening weeks of the season.

January will be huge month for both Eagle basketball programs with six GLVC doubleheaders on tap at the PAC. USI will host GLVC rivals Saint Joseph’s (January 2), Indianapolis (January 4), Northern Kentucky (January 8), Kentucky Wesleyan (January 15), Missouri-St. Louis (January 22), and Rockhurst (January 24).

Indoor track also starts its season in January, while baseball, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, and golf begin their conference seasons during the spring.

To keep up with the student athletes, visit the USI Athletics web site at www.usi.edu/sports.

POSTED BY: RAY SIMMONS, director of Sports Information.

As I walk to my office in the University Center, I overhear conversations. Some celebrate making the grade while sharing a high five with close friends. Others highlight the weekend gossip with sneaky glances at the next table. I may even catch up on the latest episode of “Grey’s Anatomy.” However, there are conversations that almost bring me to a complete stop. Some resembling the following: “there’s nothing to do here” or “weekends are so boring.” Those statements are typical. I’ve said them as a student. But now that I am in the world of Student Affairs, I want to say, “Hello! You should visit our office. There is plenty to do!”

With 90-plus student organizations, Greek Life, Leadership Programs, First Year Initiatives, and Orientation, our office is always busy! Why are students so bored?

My position at USI is program advisor for student activities, but I know that I am not the only person coordinating events. Other things exist.

Encouraging involvement provides an alternative to that boredom. When students get involved they begin to stay on campus longer. They unpack their suitcases, whether for a weekend or second year. The question is how do we inform them of the limitless opportunities for that involvement?

I know what you’re thinking. You’re hoping that I have an answer to my own question. The good news is that I do. The bad news is that very few take advantage of what is out there.

If you’ve checked your email, you probably read my name in the inbox: Kathy S. Jones. On behalf of the Office of Student Development Programs, I create bimonthly newsletters that promote involvement. Originally, the newsletters were for the “Student Involvement Group” on MyUSI. Now, faculty and staff also receive that information via email, every other Monday.

This newsletter is a free way to advertise events. Consider it a way to promote what your hard work is accomplishing. Our special faculty/staff projects prove that we have creative sides. We don’t just lecture or develop policies day after day. We all have passions that sometime shine in the events that we coordinate. We want students to enjoy the college experience, just as we have in the past.

You would be surprised at how many students don’t know about opportunities to get involved. A part of my role in Student Development Programs is to promote these options. Whether it is through my role as advisor with the Activities Programming Board (APB) or coordinating Dinner Etiquette Workshops each semester – what good are these events if students don’t know about them?

I’ve seen the flyers around campus. I know that there are speakers and musicians who visit USI often. I’ve learned that students expect a personal invitation to every single event. With the Student Involvement Newsletter, we are doing just that, only 456 people at a time. The newsletter is emailed directly to the usieagles.org accounts.

There is something for everyone! Take a glance at our latest newsletter: http://www.usi.edu/sdv/Involvement_Group_Newsletter.pdf. That could be your program on the front page for all to see! 

Our newsletter is growing larger every issue. It is proof that there is always something to do at USI. It gives even more reasons why students should get comfy – not only unpacking their suitcases, but kicking off their shoes too! We hope to read about your events soon!

To get your event in the next newsletter, email me at ksjones5@usi.edu with the subject “Student Involvement.” I only need the following information:

• Name of Event
• Time
• Location
• Sponsored and who to contact for more information
• Web site for more information – Optional
• Short Description of Event – Optional

If you are interested in joining the Student Involvement Group, you may sign up by logging into MyUSI and completing the following steps:

• Select the “Groups” icon in the right corner of MyUSI.
• Then, select “Groups Index.”
• Under Group Studio, select “Social.”
• Select “Student Involvement.”
• At this point, there will be short description about the group.  Click on “Join Group.”
• Review the Group Membership Policy and select “Join Group.” 

POST CONTRIBUTED BY: KATHY S. JONES, program advisor for student activities in Student Development Programs.

This is a busy time of the year for everyone, with more to do than there are hours in a day… I do hope, though, that you will stop and take a minute to learn about the Giving Tree program here at USI.

The Giving Tree program was started several years ago as a Student Affairs project, but is now an annual project of Staff Council. Our goal is to help those in need here on campus. This includes students, staff, and faculty.

Applications were made available earlier this month and will be accepted until the end of the day Monday, November 24. After an application has been approved, ornaments are made for each gift request. These ornaments are then sent to the eight Giving Tree locations here on campus. Near each tree is a sign-out sheet where ornament information is recorded. Wrapped gifts should be returned to the Giving Tree location where you picked up your ornament by Friday, December 10. After the gifts are collected, they are sorted and prepared for the families to pick up. This year’s pick-up dates are Monday, December 15, and Tuesday, December 16, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

For the past few years we also have given gift baskets to the international students that are not able to go home over the holidays. The square gift tags on the Giving Tree are for this purpose. These baskets include such things as microwave popcorn, bottled water, soft drinks, granola bars, candy, and gift cards. 

Even though this is a Staff Council project, this program would not succeed without the generosity of many – the application contacts, the Giving Tree contacts, and those who choose to take an ornament and purchase a gift for someone in need. Staff Council would like to send our sincere thanks to all that help in any way. This program would not be a success without YOU!

Contact information is listed below. Also, you can visit the Staff Council web page or contact a Staff Council member with questions. Applications can be directly downloaded from the website.

Contacts for Applications
Financial Assistance: Debbie Kerns
Career Services: Chris Jines
Human Resources: Vicki Oshodi
Religious Life: Christine Hoehn
Children’s Center: Pam Buschkill
Dean of Students Office: Mary Alice Weigand

Giving Tree Locations and Contacts
Academic Affairs-WA 104, Sheree Seib
College of Education and Human Services-ED 1104, Terry Martin
Rice Library-First floor, Dave O’Grady
Liberal Arts-LA 3001, Kim Myers
College of Nursing & Health Professions-HP 2145, Sharri Jordan
Admissions Office-OC 1096, Cindy Braker
Recreation & Fitness Center (RFC)-First floor, Jeannie Kuebler
Residence Life-Main Office, Doris Coon

POST CONTRIBUTED BY: PAM MOORE, administrative assistant for International Studies, Performing Arts, and Sociology

Dress rehearsal is scheduled to begin in five minutes.  The theatre is empty, except for the lighting designer, who sits at a table in the back row, his right leg bouncing furiously, as if it were powered by its own motor.  Dim fluorescent work lights provide just enough of a glow for him to see the notes he made at the last rehearsal.

“Can I get my headset down here please?” he calls up to the control booth.  No reply.  A few seconds later, he tries again.  “Can I please get my headset down here now?  I need to add a cue before we start the run.”

The sound engineer appears at his side a few minutes later with the necessary equipment.  Speaking softly into the headset now, the lighting designer says, “Group 101 at 50,” then observes the results as the operator brings the theatre lights up.  “At 45,” he continues, adjusting the intensity of the lighting till he hits on the right cue for the end of the show.

An assistant stage manager walks in and says to no one in particular, “Did the painters paint over the glow tape last night?”  The production stage manager replies from the booth, “I think they did.  We’ll have to fix that.”

Backstage, performers are doing vocal warm-ups as they get into costume.  One actor tells the costume designer that his shoes don’t fit.  “Don’t worry,” she tells him, “we’ll have a new pair for you before the show tomorrow.”

Back in the theatre, the director, designers, and music director have filed in and are chatting with the photographers who have come to take archival photos of the show.  With rehearsal about to begin, the stage manager yells from the booth, “Can I have quiet in the house please?  Quiet in the house.”  After a few moments of silence the director calls up, “Are we ready, Michele?”  She replies, her calm voice betraying only the slightest bit of stress, “We’re waiting on the harmonica.”

Moments later, the harmonica appears and the run begins. 

This was the scene at Mallette Studio Theatre in the Liberal Arts Center on November 5 as theatre students and faculty members along with professional actors and a professional stage manager prepared to open USI’s second annual Repertory Project, featuring productions of “Waiting for Lefty” by Clifford Odets and “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare.

The Repertory Project is one of USI’s most unique programs, bringing together the resources of New Harmony Theatre and USI Theatre, giving undergraduate theatre students the rare opportunity to work alongside professionals from New York, and providing audiences with the chance to see two plays of classic stature in the same three-week period. 

The guest actors and stage manager participating in the Repertory Project are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union for professional actors and stage managers.  To enter the union, aspiring actors and stage managers must have worked for fifty weeks in a union theatre.  Students working on The Repertory Project will receive eight weeks of credit toward their union membership.  USI is one of only a handful of undergraduate institutions nationwide to offer such an advantage to their students.

Students auditioned and interviewed for positions in The Repertory Project in early September.  Rehearsals began later that month, and since then students have devoted themselves to learning lines, building and painting scenery, hanging and focusing lighting instruments, creating costumes and masks, and marketing the productions.  Their titles range from assistant costume designer to usher and from master electrician to stitcher. 

Lenny Leibowitz, artistic director of New Harmony Theatre and assistant professor of theatre, dreamed up The Repertory Project and proposed the idea to Linda Bennett, vice-president for academic affairs, who offered support to get it off the ground.  Leibowitz and Bennett envisioned a “fertile interaction between veteran professionals and aspiring students…offering students a powerful foundation for real world experience and a practical model for transition into the professional arena.” 

The Repertory Project has achieved those goals, and USI students have won rave reviews from the professionals who note that “if we don’t bring our ‘A’ game all the time, they are likely to show us up.”

Remaining Repertory Project performances of “Waiting for Lefty,” directed by Elliot Wasserman, chair of the Department of Performing Arts, are November 15 and 20 at 7:30 p.m., and November 16 at 2 p.m.  Remaining performances of “Much Ado About Nothing,” directed by Lenny Leibowitz, are November 13, 14, 21, and 22 at 7:30 p.m., and November 15 and 23 at 2 p.m.  Tickets range from $8 to $18 and may be purchased through the New Harmony Theatre box office at 1-877-NHT-SHOW.

POST CONTRIBUTED BY: AMY ESTES, managing/marketing director for USI Theatre/New Harmony Theatre.

It turns out that I live in a blue county in a blue state.  Who knew?

Political scientists are trained as experts, but on the whole, our powers of prediction are not always very good.  I knew that polls in Indiana were showing a close race, but I predicted that Senator McCain would pull out a victory in our state.  I mean, really.  Indiana?  We’ve been a red state for 40 years!  Even when neighboring states all supported Clinton in 1996, we were solid Dole country.  We backed President Bush last time by over 20 points!

What was the recipe for Obama’s win?  Others will point to the impact of race, for 90% of African-American Hoosiers supported him.  A quick look at the map suggests it was primarily the urban-rural split, for it is clear that Obama fared better in larger cities and towns than in more rural parts of Indiana.  But I think the single largest factor was age.  According to the exit polls, 61% of Indiana seniors over 65 supported McCain, and he also won slim 51% majorities for all age groups between 30 and 64.  The only age group favoring Obama was young voters under the age of 30.  Sixty-four percent of voters age 25-29 backed the Democrat in Indiana, and 62% of voters aged 18-24.  That was enough support to eke out this small victory.  Because USI is an institution that prides itself on building democratic citizenship among young people regardless of political party, it was good to see record participation by young, first-time voters in our state.

Democrats had worked hard to organize in this state for the competitive primary in May, and that organization led to much larger numbers of field offices and paid staffers than in past elections.  As a result, Indiana had over 800,000 new registrants for this election cycle, and record turnout statewide.  That phenomenon could make Indiana a more competitive two party state long term.

There is one more factor, however, that we should examine.  Important national forces certainly also had a major impact on the race.  Bill Clinton won in 1992 by stressing that “It’s the Economy, stupid!” and that was no less true in this race.  Remember that national polls showed McCain as the projected leader in electoral college votes as recently as early September, following the Republican national convention.  The subsequent financial meltdown, followed by his “suspended campaign” and the debate over the bailout seems like the tipping point for this race.  McCain’s fortunes fell dramatically through the remainder of the fall in a rising Democratic national tide.  It is common for voters to hold accountable the president’s party when the economy turns sour, and McCain was victimized by these national circumstances.

Senator Obama has won the election.  Now he has to figure out how to govern, at a time when our national challenges are many.  Let’s hope that he is able to reach across the aisle and bring the change he has promised.

Thanks to all of you who voted.  It helps make our country great.

POST CONTRIBUTED BY: DR. BRIAN POSLER, assistant provost for undergraduate studies.

Every year the University of Southern Indiana is proud to run a United Way campaign in our workplace. It’s a way for our organization to do its part in helping to preserve our community’s quality of life, and to help those in need. This year’s campaign will be held October 27-31.

I recognize charitable giving is a personal decision and with a challenging economy, many of us are feeling financial pressure. In light of this, I would like to take this opportunity to briefly explain why I support United Way and how by putting our money together we can make the biggest difference in our community.

Your investment in the community will generate results that you can see – results that are creating fundamental change that help achieve the basics of a good life – education, income and health.  No other gift you give this year will have the impact of your United Way pledge. A gift of any size helps. If you give up just one $4 latte every two weeks and pledge that to United Way, you’ll provide a healthy meal each week for a child or senior in need.

There are many reasons why I support United Way of Southwestern Indiana, but most importantly, I believe that United Way of Southwestern Indiana is a leader in our community and a catalyst for change. By conducting thorough research, it determines local needs and explores best practices and innovative ways to create community solutions.

Through this research, United Way brings together expertise and resources to address our community’s most pressing health and human service issues. Instead of merely addressing the symptoms of a problem, United Way goes deeper to find the root causes and determines how it can create solutions that will profoundly and positively change the lives of thousands of people.

United Way of Southwestern Indiana holds itself accountable not just for implementing solutions, but also for the results. The organization is committed to producing measurable outcomes that it can report to the community.

And it does all of this very efficiently. In 2007, United Way’s administrative and fundraising percentage was 15 percent, which means $.85 of every dollar you give goes directly to more than 75 programs and services offered by United Way and the 33 Partner Agencies.  Your dollars work harder when you give to United Way of Southwestern Indiana.

By joining me in supporting our United Way campaign, you are having a direct impact and creating meaningful, lasting change in your own backyard. We’re looking forward to a phenomenal campaign. Please make your pledge, and thank you for choosing the way to improve our community. Together we can make a difference – Live United!

On Monday, look for additional campaign information and your pledge form in campus mail. To learn more about United Way’s work in the community, visit: www.unitedwayswi.org

POST CONTRIBUTED BY: LISA J. SCHAEFER, USI Campaign coordinator and assistant director, Alumni and Volunteer Services.

The Shield alumni will gather in Carter Hall on Saturday to reflect on 40 years of a free press at the University of Southern Indiana.

As I meet the former editors, writers, photographers, copy editors, advertising managers, and advisors, I plan to thank them for their involvement with the student press and for contributing to the lofty mission of this young university.

After sifting through The Shield archive, I can testify to their dedication to providing an outlet for information and opinions relevant and valuable to students.

Throughout the pages of The Shield’s 854 issues the students reflected the campus’ social and political landscape, traced the university’s growth in enrollment and building construction, and reported on campus conflicts and controversies.

The editors didn’t realize it at the time, but the product of their late nights in The Shield office would become a record of the university’s history.

But the student newspaper is more than a historical record – it is a training ground for student journalists.

Although The Shield is not directly affiliated with the journalism program (we are funded through advertising dollars and student services), it is a laboratory for our journalism students – a very public laboratory.

When a chemistry student breaks a test tube or miscalculates a formula, only the lab instructor and a few classmates bear witness. When an editor at The Shield makes a mistake, the error is magnified – it appears in the 2,500 copies of the newspaper distributed across campus for anyone to see.

I’m often asked why, as the advisor, I don’t try to prevent those errors by copy editing or approving the paper before it goes to press.

When given the opportunity (such as this one), I explain that student journalists at public universities are protected by law from prior review from administrators and – to the surprise of many – from the publication advisor.

This point was underscored in 2005, when President Hoops signed a statement declaring The Shield a designated public forum. The move was a response to the Hosty vs. Carter decision by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, which opened the door for university administrators to exert more editorial control over student publications.

As a journalism instructor I teach students how to report, write, and copy edit; how to make news decisions that are both legal and ethical; and how to respond to criticism of their work.

As the newspaper advisor, I stand on the sidelines, coaching, encouraging, and making suggestions, but ultimately leaving every decision up to them. When they do something well, they get the credit, and when they do something wrong they take the responsibility.

So if you see something you like, or something you don’t, let them know. The Shield is your public forum. You can write a letter to the editor, leave a comment on the web site (www.usishield.com), or, if you’re a student, you can get involved.

As The Shield celebrates its 40th anniversary, I celebrate my first anniversary as its advisor. I could not be more proud of the talent, intelligence and courage of USI’s student journalists.

Thanks for reading The Shield.

POST CONTRIBUTED BY: ERIN GIBSON, instructor in journalism and advisor to The Shield.

I believe in taking time to discover myself. Instead of wasting my life pursuing someone else’s idea of happiness, what I really need to do – what I’m really here to do – is to know myself. Because in knowing myself, I find the freedom to pursue my own dreams, not the dreams shaped for me by others.

As a teenager and young adult, I had a very definite idea of who I was “supposed to be.” This “someone” was partly influenced by the media; my definitions of beauty (size zero), love (passion), and success (money) conformed to what I saw in magazines and movies. This “someone” was also influenced by personal agents, like parents who insisted on my best efforts and teachers who recognized my potential. Still, even these well-meaning individuals contributed to my unwillingness to discover who I really was or what I really wanted to do with my life, because my desire to “make good” on the promise they claimed to see in me made me terrified of disappointing anyone. I expended all my energy on being the perfect student, the perfect daughter, the perfect everything.

We now have a catch-phrase to describe girls like this: supergirls. Girls who play every sport, serve on every committee, hold every office; girls with 4.0 GPAs; girls whose beauty, wit, intelligence and creativity are supposed to land them in top colleges and high-paying careers. And we’re finding that eating disorders, depression, self-mutilation and suicide are often the price of being a supergirl.

When I graduated from high school in 1997, the term “supergirl” hadn’t yet come into vogue, although plenty of us existed. Like today’s supergirls, although on the outside I seemed to have everything together, I eventually had to fight the demons that result from trying to be “perfect.” It took a life-threatening illness, an infinitely patient family, a wonderful husband, and a spiritual reawakening for me to finally accept that I didn’t need to be a supergirl to be happy. Only then was I free to start figuring out what my purpose in life really is.

Today, I’m not the gorgeous glamazon career girl my seventeen-year-old self imagined; I’m not the world-renowned scholar I pictured when I entered my PhD program at twenty-four. I live in a small town, teach at a small university, lead a quiet – and by Hollywood’s standards, a boring – life. But I’m healthy, even though I’ve traded in my size zero jeans for a curvier size six; I’m fulfilled by what I do for a living, even though it’ll never make me rich or famous; I’m in love with a terrific man, even though he doesn’t fit the leading man archetype.

A few weeks ago, I sat down with a group of first-year students at USI’s Bonding Through Books Brunch to discuss how personal beliefs shape our lives. I was seated at a table with six young women whom, though certainly unique individuals, was each her own type of supergirl. I told them what I wished someone had told me at eighteen: We can live life blindly buffeted by the pressures from society, family, media and friends, being pushed in directions we aren’t sure we want to go, or we can take the opportunity to figure out who we are and who we want to become. I believe college offers just that opportunity if we’ll take it, if we’ll allow the people we encounter and the lessons we learn (in the classroom and out) to make us examine our beliefs, to understand how those beliefs shape our worldviews, to use that understanding to shape ourselves into who we want to be. Then we can define for ourselves what will make us happy, even if that turns out not to be what everyone told us was a perfect life.

POST CONTRIBUTED BY: Dr. R. EVON HAWKINS, assistant professor of English.

If you had money to spend on your teaching, what would you do with it? I’ve been thinking about that ever since applications for the Teaching Enhancement Awards were announced. I’ve been wondering what transformed my teaching – or what transformed me as a teacher. I’d like to hear your story; send it as a comment to this blog or as a proposal for a Teaching Enhancement Award. Did I mention that the deadline is Friday, October 10?

I had a wonderful education in teaching at SUNY/Buffalo with a full year of coursework on composition and rhetoric pedagogy, mentors who were passionate about teaching undergraduates, and students – many of whom had just been laid off as a result of the crash of Bethlehem Steel – who knew they needed to know what I was there to teach. I was equally fortunate in my first job, a rare tenure track position in literary theory (this was 1987 – not a good year) at Hamline University, a small, private, liberal arts university in St. Paul, Minnesota. As a southerner, I’m here to tell you that Minnesota winter is better than Buffalo winter. But not by much. Still, Hamline had an amazing general education curriculum designed in large part by the dean who hired me, Jerry Gaff. So I was in on the ground floor of the faculty seminars and workshops created to support the new curriculum. From that moment on I became a faculty development junkie.

All of these experiences turned me into a teacher and transformed my teaching. My colleagues and our conversations were my most profound influences. But as I became busier and busier with committee work, students, and family (yes, I was trying to have a life as well as finish writing a book) my conversations about teaching became fewer and far between. I started to miss the very thing that made me excited about the work I had chosen to do. How can we change that? (Hint: This is where Faculty Development comes in.)

Can we throw money at this problem? Yes we can. We don’t have trillions for a bailout, but as educators, we well know that a little goes a long way. But where should it go?

This takes me back to my original question: if you had money to spend on your teaching, what would you do with it?

Here’s my list of ways I have spent money that has transformed my teaching:

• Travel has led me to the places that mattered most to writers I teach:
  • London to trace Virginia Woolf’s steps through Bloomsbury to find the shop where she used to buy her pens
  • Southeast England to wander through Vita Sackville-West’s gardens – the magnificent one she created at the ruined castle, Sissinghurst, and the one at her childhood home, Knole – the largest house in England, given to her ancestor in compensation for delivering the death sentence to Mary of Scotland
  • The Lake District of northwest England to experience Wordsworth’s sublime for myself as I rode a train into Windemere in a January snow storm
  • Nottingham and the English midlands to find the house D. H. Lawrence grew up in and the realization that this gritty coal town was surrounded by lush farmland

• Interdisciplinary conferences on teaching have given me a broader perspective on the curriculum:
  • The Association of General and Liberal Studies
  • The Association of Integrated Studies
  • The Association of American Colleges & Universities
  • The Professional and Organizational Development Network for Higher Education

• Reading groups on teaching that given me a chance to talk about teaching with my colleagues: There are great books out there we could read together.

• Workshops on pedagogy have continued to change the way I teach and design courses: constructivism, writing across the curriculum, speaking-intensive classes, designing innovative courses, learning centered teaching, engaging students – the list goes on and on.

In the past, folks at USI have used Teaching Enhancement Awards in these and many other ways – including the International Studies Colloquium. Apply for one.

POST CONTRIBUTED BY: DR. KARYN SPROLES, director of Faculty Development.