News briefs and announcements
United Way goal exceeded
University of Richmond has surpassed its goal of raising $60,000 for the Greater Richmond-Petersburg United Way. University staff, faculty and students contributed $60,479.90. Co-chairs Christie D'Amour and Doug Hicks offered special thanks to Lynn Robertson and Marty Englert of Human Resource Services for their coordination of this effort. To the contributors they said "We are grateful for your generosity and thank you for all of the ways that you engage the greater Richmond community."
University to offer course in Arabic studies
Beginning with the fall 2006 semester, the University will offer a course in Arabic language and culture. The course will consist of three sections: High Arabic, a dialect usually reserved for religious and official documents; culture and religion of the Muslim world; and a practical study of colloquial Arabic. Martin Sulzer-Reichel, director of German language, will teach the course. He will be aided by a Fulbright Scholar fluent in the language.
Students compete in Ethics Bowl
Richmond students Jeff Piel, '06, Mary-Kathryn Tantum, '07, Kathryn Sigismund, '07, and Erin O'Leary, '07, participated in the Ethics Bowl tournament in February. The bowl is sponsored by Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges. Tim Duffee, adjunct instructor in SCS, coached the team. They competed against teams from 14 other independent colleges in Virginia, and won two of four debates.
SAE raises funds for Special Olympics
Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity raised nearly $25,000 for Special Olympics by participating in the Polar Plunge on Feb. 4. At the plunge, more than 3,000 people ran into the Atlantic Ocean at Virginia Beach, raising $590,000. SAE's total was second only to that of Virginia Natural Gas, which raised about $1,000 more.
Special Olympics provides sports training and competition year-round for special needs people. University of Richmond provides facilities for local Special Olympics each summer.
Playing for Peace tournament is April 5
As part of the 2006 intramural season, Campus Recreation and Pi Beta Phi are sponsoring a 3-on-3 basketball tournament April 5 to raise money and awareness for Playing for Peace. Playing for Peace is a nonprofit organization that uses the game of basketball to unite and educate children and their communities in Northern Ireland, South Africa and the Middle East. It was founded on the premise that "children who play together can learn to live together." Playing for Peace attracts children between 10-14 to participate in basketball and life-skills activities that enable them to learn leadership skills and how to live as friends and neighbors.
President Cooper signs Turkish exchange agreement
University President Bill Cooper signed an exchange agreement with Ali Dogramaci, rector of Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, Feb. 17.
Dogramaci founded Bilkent University in 1984. The university's courses are taught in English and it has a private satellite Internet connection to the United States and a communications office in New York City.
The agreement calls for a one-to-one exchange of up to five students per university in an academic year. Two faculty members from Bilkent are slated to teach at Richmond next fall, and students will follow in spring 2007. Exchange students will pay the tuition and fees of their home university and transportation to and from the host country, as well as their room and board abroad.
Richmond is affiliated with about 70 universities in 35 different countries, where students can study for a semester or a full year.
Following the signing ceremony, Dogramaci took tours of the campus and city and spoke in Heilman Dining Center.
Admission Office to host events for prospective students
The Office of Admission will host prospective students during programs in April. Accepted students will be on campus during eight weekdays (April 3, 5, 7, 12, 14, 17, 24 and 26) for Realize Richmond. Each weekday program will include a class visit, session for parents, campus tour and lunch with students and admission officers. A Saturday open house April 22 called The Richmond Experience will give accepted students a variety of opportunities to interact with current students, faculty and administrators.
Programs April 10 and 19, called Preview Richmond, will target sophomores and juniors in high school and give them an opportunity to see what Richmond is like. There will be a poster fair, student panel, admission information, campus tour and lunch.
Students not able to attend any of these programs can visit campus for regular twice daily information sessions and tours. The Admission Office also will hold Saturday hours on April 1, 8 and 29. Visit the Admission Office Web site for more details at http://www.richmond.edu/visit.
Jablin Library dedicated
The University has dedicated a reading room in Jepson Hall as the Jablin Library. The area, located in the faculty lounge, includes the late professor's research materials and books from his private collection. The University also renamed a scholarship for him. Jablin, who taught in the Jepson School of Leadership Studies for 10 years, was murdered outside his home in October 2004. His brother, Mike Jablin, said at the dedication, "Establishing this library reading room has been a beacon for us as we emerge from the dark path we were on, almost in despair. But with friendship, compassion and sympathy, you all have helped us resume our lives that were shattered."
SCS offering new weekend
bachelor's degree program
The School of Continuing Studies will offer a bachelor of liberal arts degree through its Weekend College program at Roanoke's Virginia Western Community College beginning in fall 2006.
"Virginia Western has a strong academic reputation and plays a leading role in providing lifelong learning opportunities for residents of the Roanoke Valley, so offering our Weekend College program here was a perfect fit. I'm confident that this new partnership will help serve the educational needs of the greater Roanoke Valley, and I'm thrilled with our relationship with Virginia Western," said James L. Narduzzi, SCS dean.
Weekend College was developed to allow working adults the opportunity to complete their undergraduate degrees on a familiar campus near their homes. The highly-concentrated courses are taken with the convenience of a part-time schedule so work and family disruptions are minimal. Students enroll in 12 credit hours each semester (full-time status), which opens the door to grants and other financial aid.
Weekend College also is available at Germanna Community College's Fredericksburg campus.
Summer Scholar applications
due soon
The University is gearing up for Summer Scholars July 9-29. The popular, academically-based program allows rising high school juniors and seniors a chance to sample college life. Students also will earn four Richmond credit hours by successfully completing their choice of studies-biogenetics, disaster science and homeland security, or forensic debate. Summer Scholars live in a residence hall during their three-week stay. In addition to challenging class work, fun campus activities and exciting off-campus weekend excursions are planned. Bright young students with competitive grade point averages are encouraged to apply. The deadline is April 15. For detailed information or an application packet, go to www.richmond.edu/scs/summer/scholars.
Debaters sought
Spots are open on next year's debate team, and interested students should contact the coaches at kkuswa@richmond.edu or abrovero@richmond.edu. This year's National Debate Tournament featured two University teams for the first time in the program's history. Nehal Shah and Ryan Smith qualified from the Mid-Atlantic district, and Matt Bodnar and Joe Chicvak received a second-round bid to compete against the top 72 debate teams in the nation. Only a few dozen schools across the country qualified two teams to the NDT, held at Northwestern University in March.
Students to conduct research in
former Soviet bloc
The Global Partners Project of The Center in Central Europe & Russia has awarded grants for travel and research in former Soviet bloc countries to two Richmond students.
Makshim Sobkin, '08, from Wexford, Pa., and Rasa Verseckaite, '08, from Kursenai, Lithuania, will conduct research during summer travels to Russia and Lithuania, respectively, and then present their findings in programs and publications at Richmond.
Sobkin and Verseckaite were among only 10 college students nationally to be selected for the grants. Other colleges with recipients include Carleton, Davidson, Kenyon, Macalester, Oberlin and Ohio Wesleyan.
Sobkin will spend several weeks studying the Russian bazaar economy, analyzing transactions and interviewing buyers and sellers. He expects to show that standards of living have increased with diverse products easily available to consumers.
Verseckaite will visit libraries in Lithuania to compare coverage of the Ribbentrop-Molotov treaty in history texts published in Lithuania during Soviet and independent periods from the 1950s through the end of the 20th century.
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