Warhawk Weekly 11–8: Staff council announces decoration winners; WOW involvement

Staff Council announces Halloween decoration winners

The first place winners of the AUM Staff Council 2016 Halloween Office Decoration contest are the College of Public Policy and Justice and the School of Accountancy.

The second place winner is Information Technology Services.

Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you to all the offices that participated this year in the competition. The Staff Council appreciates all the time and efforts that our great staff members dedicated to this fun activity.

Special thanks to faculty and staff who visited the decorated offices and voted online. The competition could not have been successful without your votes on Qualtrics. Also, special thanks to Sandra Vigilant, Office of Online and Digital Learning, and Alicia Dean, Office of Institutional Effectiveness, for working on the voting survey on Qualtrics.

Want to get involved on campus? Join the WOW crew or submit an event for WOW

Join the WOW Crew

The Warhawk Weeks of Welcome Crew is recruiting new members for spring, summer, and fall 2017. The WOW Crew assists in welcoming students and helping with executing events during the Weeks of Welcome at the start of each semester. Weeks of Welcome are a time for clubs, organizations, and offices around campus to welcome AUM students to the new semester. WOW Crew applications are open to all students and will be accepted throughout the year.

The WOW Crew has been a staple the last few years on campus and always brings an air of excitement to the WOW. Crew members will be expected to support events throughout WOW by offering to help with any part of said events. The Crew is also expected to be ready to answer questions that new AUM students may have about campus. There will be mandatory trainings held before each semester. These dates are tentatively scheduled for January 9, April 21, and August 7.

The current dates for WOW are: January 9–13. Summer and fall dates to come!

Apply here for The WOW Crew. For more information, email Serena McCovery at [email protected].

Submit an event for WOW

Warhawk WOW is just one of the many traditions we have on our campus. These traditions are important for our campus development and show what the Warhawk Spirit is all about. WOW enhances students’ bond to AUM, and we encourage your student organization to help continue this tradition on campus.

We hope that by engaging in WOW events, students will:

• Grow a strong sense of community
• Gain awareness of clubs, organization and offices
• Develop skills and knowledge for student success
• Identify university expectations

By completing , your event is slated for the WOW Week schedule; however, your submission must be approved by the Office of Orientation and Transitions prior to it appearing on the WOW calendar to avoid scheduling issues during the week.

To be included in the WOW schedule, email Serena McCovery at [email protected].

The current dates for WOW are: January 9–13. November 18 is the last day to submit an event for WOW Spring 2017.

Staff Council Spotlight: November 2016

Roger Colquitt, Information Technology Services

Read about Roger.

Jefferson named Teacher of the Week

Barbara Jefferson, an adjunct professor in AUM’s Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, has received WSFA’s Class Act Teacher of the Week award. This honor was given to Jefferson on October 31. Jefferson teaches math at Baldwin Magnet School.

Read more about Barbara Jefferson.

Transfer Student Association promotes National Hunger and Homelessness Week

In the spirit of giving back and promoting kindness this holiday season, the Transfer Student Association (TSA) invites you to participate in helping those less fortunate for Thanksgiving.

TSA will kick-off National Hunger and Homelessness Week with a screening of Storied Streets, a documentary that explores various sides of homelessness. The screening will take place on Monday, November 14 at 2 p.m. in Taylor 223. National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is held the week before Thanksgiving and offers an opportunity to reach out to our neighbors in need.

TSA will be collecting canned goods and warm clothing to donate to the Mid-Alabama Coalition for Homeless (MACH) and the AUM Food Pantry.

In addition to canned goods, items accepted for donation include gently used blankets, coats, socks, hats, and other winter-wear. Members of TSA will volunteer at the MACH donation pod located at Regions Bank on Coliseum Boulevard on November 12 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Donations can be dropped off on Tuesdays from 12–1 p.m. at any of the Transfer Tuesdays tables or anytime between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on other days to the Office of Orientation and Transitions in Taylor 308. Donations will be accepted until 5 p.m. on November 17.

Transfer Tuesdays

Transfer students, how have you made the transition? The Office of Orientation and Transitions and Transfer Student Association are excited to announce Transfer Tuesdays, which will take place every Tuesday on the Goodwyn Hall Breezeway from noon to 1 p.m. for the month of November!

Transfer students are strongly encouraged to come out and learn more about available support services, opportunities for student involvement, and how to join the Transfer Student Association!

AUMnibus job openings

The AUMnibus is looking for a new editor in chief and a webmaster/web content manager.

Both the editor in chief and the webmaster should master AP style and be knowledgeable of the basics of journalistic writing. They must take Journalism Practicum (COMM 2914) as they assume the positions –– unless they have previously taken the course.

Ideal candidates for both positions will be AUM students who are serious about developing as writers and editors. The AUMnibus provides an incredible opportunity to enrich their portfolio and gain real-life experience in the business of producing a publication.

Only serious applications will be considered. Professionalism and high work ethic are expected.

Editor in Chief

The editor in chief serves as the last line of defense, ensuring that all material for the print publication is well written and free of mistakes.

In addition to editing articles, the AUMnibus editor must:

• Communicate with the academic advisor, staff and printer to coordinate the entire production process, from brainstorming about story ideas to distribution
• Work with Journalism Practicum students to plan each issue
• Plan monthly events to increase visibility and gain readership across the AUM campus
• Work with photographers and the graphic designer to continuously improve the overall look of the paper.

Webmaster/Web Content Manager

The webmaster’s main responsibility is to manage and improve the AUMnibus website.

The AUMnibus webmaster must:

• Find and publish new content on the website on a regular basis
• Track down copyright-free images to accompany articles when images are not provided
• Maintain the website’s hosting platform (WordPress)
• Improve the AUMnibus social media presence and find new, engaging content
• Regularly communicate with the academic advisor, editor in chief and Journalism Practicum students to discuss website content and other issues

Experience with WordPress or with blogging is desirable but not required.

Both the editor in chief and the webmaster are paid positions; students receive stipends that go toward their tuition.

Both students should also pursue advertisers for the publication and participate in the search for a business manager (paid on commission) to sell advertisements.

Self-motivated, creative, organized, independent individuals who work well with others and are passionate about journalism and the English language are strongly encouraged to apply. Positions will be open until filled.

Please send resume and letter of interest to Dr. Silvia Giagnoni, AUMnibus academic advisor, at [email protected].

Special Ed major targets bus behavior for Service Learning

Kaitlin Arp, an undergraduate in Special Education, completed her Service Learning Project by teaching appropriate bus behavior to middle school students. Arp noticed that many of the students she was working with were being kicked off the bus for inappropriate behavior. Therefore, she started working in small groups teaching mini lessons about appropriate behaviors on the school bus. The behavior sheet implemented led to discussions on factors that affected their behaviors. Arp hopes to identify more students next semester that would benefit from additional lessons on appropriate bus behavior.

CELT announces new spring programs

CELT is pleased to announce the addition of two new programs, which will begin in the spring.

Teaching Squares Program

A Teaching Square is an arrangement in which four faculty members agree to visit each other’s classes over the course of a semester and then meet to discuss what they have learned from their observations. By allowing faculty to be learners again in their colleagues’ classes, the Square provides faculty with an opportunity to gain new insight into their own teaching through a non-evaluative process of reciprocal classroom observation and self-reflection. All faculty of all levels of experience, and all delivery methods, are welcome and each Square will ideally include a variety of disciplines.

Faculty Pop-In Days

Looking for a less formal way of peering into a colleague’s class than our Teaching Squares Program? Participate in our Faculty Pop-In Days Program, where you can volunteer to open your class on a certain day or pop-in to a colleague’s class. A schedule of open classes will be published, along with how many extra people each class can accommodate.

For more information, contact Dr. Lee Farrow at [email protected].

Health and Physical Education students volunteer

Students and teacher candidates enrolled in PHED 2130 Health Education and Physical Education in Elementary School, volunteered in two area elementary schools. These teacher candidates are Elementary Education majors, Collaborative Education majors and Physical Education majors within the College of Education. Both of these learning opportunities serve as a component of the various Service Learning opportunities that teacher candidates participate in during their time with the AUM COE.

Students assisted with Fun Day at Dalraida Elementary School on October 13. Fun Day was part of a week long event at DES that provided a field day atmosphere for students to participate in a variety of activities such as: moon walks, obstacle courses, playground activities, and concessions, just to name a few. The teacher candidates from the College of Education assisted at each of the given areas of participation during the festivities. Fun Day accumulated with a team jump rope tournament and a basketball tournament. The teacher candidates assisted also with refereeing the tournaments.

On October 15, the same teacher candidates assisted with the Pumpkin Run at Brewbaker Primary School. The Pumpkin Run helps promote physical activity as an extended part of the physical education program at Brewbaker Primary School and Breast Cancer awareness month. Pink pumpkins and t-shirts worn by BPS students, parents, and faculty help promote, as well as the teacher candidates from the College of Education. The teacher candidates assisted during the run by helping the students stay on the course, helping individuals during the run, manning booths, and even participating in the run.

Teaching Professor Conference funding

CELT is offering the opportunity to receive funds to attend the Teaching Professor Conference in early June 2017. Preference will go to those recommended directly by deans and department heads, but faculty may self-nominate as well.

CELT wants to help faculty recognize the benefit of teaching conferences by taking a few faculty to one of these conferences each year, where they can be exposed to new ideas and research about teaching. Not only is it about being better teachers. It’s a great way to learn some new tricks of the trade and recharge your battery.

Grant requirements are included in the CELT Grant Application. The deadline is December 1, 2016.

Warhawk Shop food drive a success

The Warhawk Shop staff would like to thank everyone who donated to the canned food drive.

As a part of the AUM family, we wanted to do our part in helping to feed students coping with food insecurity.

Thanks to the success of the food drive, we were able to donate three boxes of canned goods to the AUM Campus Food Pantry.