University of North Florida | Academic Affairs | Undergraduate Studies

www.unf.edu/acadaffairs/undergrad/

The Undergraduate Studies Newsletter

Spring 2008

Contents


Introduction

The Office of Undergraduate Studies is a unit of Academic Affairs that offers administrative support for programs, policies, and initiatives designed to enhance and enrich the undergraduate experience at the University of North Florida. More...

 

Happenings

2008-2009 Transformational Learning Opportunity Awards

The Office of Undergraduate Studies received 50 applications requesting a total of just over $1 million for creative and worthy projects proposed for the third round of the TLO program. Overall 21 undergraduate applications were funded. More...

Freshmen to Read Freakonomics

The Undergraduate Studies Council and the General Education Council are pleased to announce that Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner has been chosen as the inaugural text for the “UNF Reads!” program.. More...

The Office of Undergraduate Studies Invites Students to Speak their Minds

In Fall 2007 the Office of Undergraduate Studies launched a brand new initiative called Student Conversations with the Office of Undergraduate Studies. This initiative seeks to improve and enhance the academic experience of UNF’s undergraduate students by inviting students to engage in dialogue with Assistant Vice President for Undergraduate Studies, David Jaffee, and Coordinator for Undergraduate Initiatives, Martina Perry. More...

 

The ADP Steering Committee Launches Its First Semester of Events

The American Democracy Project Steering Committee, co-chaired by Dr. Berrin Beasley and Ambassador Nancy Soderberg, kicked-off the Spring semester of events by taking students to Tallahassee to meet with legislators during the "Jacksonville Day at the Capitol" event. Students were able to get an inside look into state government as they attended a Higher Education Appropriations meeting. They also were able to attend a lunch with the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce and hear Speaker of the House, Representative Marco Rubio, discuss the Property Tax Amendment and other important issues of the day. This program was co-sponsored by the Office of the President, Student Government, and the American Democracy Project. More...

Students Organize UNF Voices Forum

On March 25, 2008 more than 50 UNF students and faculty members participated in the first UNF Voices Forum. The forum was focused on the question: Who Holds the Power in American Democracy? Issues related to the role of the individual in our representative democracy were discussed. Guest speakers included Duval County Supervisor of Elections, Jerry Holland, and Assistant Professor of Political Science and Public Administration, Kyle Scott. More...


First Year Students Dive into the Honors Experience

The motto of the Honors Program is "Bridge the Gap between Education and Experience."  This means that the Program challenges students to be active participants in their own learning process.  This begins when the Honors students arrive on campus.  First year Honors students participate in a week-long Honors Orientation that emphasizes leadership, teamwork, and community.  For example, one day is spent on a major service project, where students learn about the community while carrying out a project to benefit others.    More...

 
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Undergraduate Studies Council Update

The mission of the Undergraduate Studies Council is to advance the goals of the university as they pertain to excellence in undergraduate education, undergraduate student learning, and undergraduate student development and academic services. The Council has three working sub-committees: Faculty Advising, Retention, and the First-Year Experience.

Retention Sub-Committee to Hold Focus Groups

During the Spring 2008 semester students in Dr. Mary Borg's classes will be forming focus groups to discuss the issue of retention. They will explore reasons why some students matriculate through to graduation, and why others do not persist at the university. After conducting the focus groups a survey will be created based on issues and themes that emerge in the focus groups. More...

First Year Experience Sub-Committee Prepares to launch UNF READS! Program

As a result of the work of the First Year Experience Sub-Committee, incoming Freshmen in Fall 2008 will participate in a freshman common reading program, called UNF Reads! This sub-committee worked in conjunction with the General Education Council to field book suggestions from the UNF community, and to make the final decision on the book. More...

Faculty Advising Sub-Committee Prepares to Launch Pilot on Faculty Mentoring

The Faculty Advising Sub-Committee has been working diligently on their recommendation to increase faculty mentoring at UNF. Their recommendation includes the creation of program coordinators in all of the academic departments, whose primary role would be to serve as a mentor to students on what they can expect as a major in a particular field, career opportunities, and any other information concerning classes offered in that particular department. Also, the program coordinators will refer students to other faculty members in the department or other campus resources as necessary to give students further guidance. The program coordinators would be full-time faculty members who have knowledge of their field that students could benefit from. More...

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TLO Spotlights

The Transformational Learning Opportunities (TLO) Program, which has made three rounds of awards, impacts students' intellectual and professional development, while giving them a potentially life-changing experience. Below are a few spotlights from the TLO Program. Each Fall semester, faculty and staff are invited to apply for funds to support creative and potentially transformative experiences for students. For more information about the program please visit the TLO website.

First Annual TLO Symposium Set for Spring

On April 15, 2008 the Office of Undergraduate Studies will hold its first annual TLO Symposium. At the symposium faculty, staff, and students will have the opportunity to learn about selected TLO projects have been developed and implemented at UNF. Faculty and staff will be able to gain valuable knowledge about how to successfully design and implement a TLO. More...

 

Students Bring Home Lessons from Britain

For the past three semesters, education students have been able increase their knowledge of the British National curriculum by interning at public schools in Plymouth, England through an internship program with the College of St. Mark and St. John (Marjon). While in Plymouth they observe, plan, and prepare classroom and individual lessons that have been drawn from the curriculum. More...


UNFSIFE Shares Business Skills in Zambia

In December 2007, Dr. Fred Pragasam and three UNF students who are members of UNFSIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) had the unique opportunity of traveling to Zambia, Africa to conduct workshops on computer literacy, entrepreneurship and to help develop a business center. More...

UNF Students Present Research at Conferences

The Office of Undergraduate Studies, along with the Undergraduate Research Program, encourages students to become engaged in research at the undergraduate level. Typically, these research experiences happen in collaboration with a faculty member and can lead to the student's work being accepted for presentation at a conference in a relevant field. This year, there are several outstanding students who have been invited to present their research at various conferences, and the Office of Undergraduate Studies is assisting them with TLO funds so that they can take advantage of this transformational learning opportunity. More...

 

Staying on Track: Academic Roadmaps Program

In an effort to guide students through their program of study and improve student graduation rates, the University has begun the process of having each department develop Academic Roadmaps. These Roadmaps provide a guide to students that will inform them of the classes they should take and the order in which they should take them to successfully graduate in 4 years with a degree in a particular major. Additionally, the Roadmaps include Milemarkers, which indicate the critical courses or other requirements that students need to have accomplished by a certain semester. More...

 

Suggested Reading

The First Year Out by Tim Clydesdale

In The First Year Out, sociologist Tim Clydesdale conducts in-depth interviews with fifty teenagers making the transition to life after high school. His findings directly challenge the many assumptions we make in higher education about the level of student engagement and intellectual transformation during the early stages of an undergraduate career. More...

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OFFICE OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES
www.unf.edu/acadaffairs/undergrad/index.htm
1 UNF Drive
Jacksonville, Florida 32246
Building 1, Suite 1220
(904) 620-2994
undergrad.studies@unf.edu