The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh communication studies professor and director for the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning is co-leading the development of the innovative redesign of general education requirements – the University Studies Program (USP).

The USP is innovative and aimed at being high-value and high-impact for students. And come fall 2013, students coming into and graduating from  UW Oshkosh will benefit from a different kind of general education. This summer, UW Oshkosh’s landmark USP earned another tremendous endorsement when it was awarded a three-year, more-than $400,000 UW System institutional grant – “Promoting Student Success through Curricular Reform.” It will help support USP development and implementation over the next three years.

“We’re reinventing how we teach first-year students, allowing our faculty and staff to try new things that will inspire their students and, in the long run, our entire community,” said Tracy Slagter, assistant professor of political science.

The USP didn’t just happen; the historic redesign of “gen eds,” as students call them, is an effort a long time in the making.

“The University Studies Program is the result of years of dedicated work by faculty committed to both increasing student retention and enhancing the quality of learning,” said Lane Earns, UW Oshkosh Provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs.

Leading up to the launch of new classes and opportunities, though, comes much work by the faculty and staff members at UW Oshkosh, said Carleen Vande Zande, assistant vice chancellor for curricular affairs and student academic achievement.

In many ways, the key grant, which was approved in July, will help move the USP at UW Oshkosh along. General education requirements as a whole, until now, have not been redesigned in four decades so much behind-the-scenes planning is needed, Vande Zande said.

“This UW System grant affirms the value of all the work as well as the potential of this new program to positively impact student learning,” said Carrell.

According to Vande Zande, the grant will help UW Oshkosh do three things. First, it will provide opportunities for professional development of faculty, a very important part of the process. The grant will also help align existing academic and student support services with the new USP curriculum and it will allow for the development of tools to monitor student success.

“This grant really allows us to do the right things in the right ways to make this successful,” said Vande Zande. “I think it shows that the UW System believes in us and of the good ideas of our faculty and how they want to educated students for the 21st Century.”

As part of the USP, students will explore “signature questions” through what are called “Quest” classes. The USP connects learning experiences to three key questions that directly tie into the University’s established Essential Learning Outcomes: “How do people understand and create a more sustainable world?” “How do people understand and engage in community life?” and “How do people understand and bridge cultural differences?”

Quest classes are now in the development phase by UW Oshkosh faculty. Professional development as it relates to the new courses is also underway. In October, the University will welcome dozens of nonprofit organizations and agencies from throughout Northeastern Wisconsin to campus for the Provost’s Teaching and Learning Summit to learn more about how they’ll benefit from the coming waves of student civic-engagement and service-learning projects — a major component of the USP.

“Our Quest courses are the first classes new students will take at UW Oshkosh and we’re creating them mostly from scratch,” said Slagter. “Faculty and staff have been hard at work developing courses that give students foundational knowledge and skills and that pique their intellectual curiosity and make them eager to learn more.”

Beyond the revamp of classes, the USP will provide students with learning communities and peer mentors while simultaneously pushing them out into the community to be active and engaged citizens, which Vande Zande calls “authentic and situational learning.”

As the fall 2013 semester grows nearer, the UW Oshkosh teaching community continues to work on curricular changes, while other departments and campus services also organize themselves for the changes the USP will bring.

“As we move forward into implementation, all faculty, staff and students will need to step up and commit themselves to additional investments of time and intellectual energy,” said Earns. “Our goals are lofty, and our assessment plan will ultimately reveal the impact of this program not only in retention and graduation rates, but in the quality of the educational experience at UW Oshkosh.”

Learn more:

• University Studies Program

Nominated by Liz Whalley, director of the Undergraduate Advising and Resource Center (UARC) at UW Oshkosh, both David Jones, chair of the criminal justice department and faculty adviser, and Michele Schlinsog, UARC adviser for students in the College of Nursing, will receive excellence awards for their dedication and commitment to UW Oshkosh students at the WACADA annual conference Sept. 21-22 at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse.

The WACADA Awards are intended to recognize individuals who work with, for and in favor of students in an academic advising capacity, and those who have demonstrated outstanding dedication to the profession of academic advising.

Jones

Jones will receive the Faculty Adviser Excellence Award, which acknowledges candidates who exhibit a wide range of effective qualities including strong interpersonal skills, mastery of regulations, policies and procedures and willingness to treat students as an individual of worth and potential.

In Jones’ nomination, Whalley wrote: “Dr. Jones is probably one of the most approachable faculty members you will ever meet. He has an easy, non-threatening styled that serves him well as an adviser…In additional to his direct advising of students, David is a committed advocate for advising and advising-related programs and initiatives. He attends nearly every faculty development session we offer on the topic of advising, served several years on the Advisory Council for Comprehensive Academic advising and was a member of the Early Alert Task Force.”

Schlinsog

Schlinsog will receive the Advising Excellence Award, which is awarded to those who exhibit exemplary qualities of an academic adviser, including strong interpersonal skills, a caring attitude toward students and mastery of regulations, policies and procedures.

In Schlinsog’s nomination, Whalley wrote: “…She has a natural gift at connecting with students; calming their fears, alleviating their anxiety and helping them make sense of complex information so that they can make good decisions…She is a great resource for students because of her broad knowledge of campus resources and her practice of referring to a specific person rather than a general office.”

Beyond the recognition of UW Oshkosh faculty and staff advisers, Ashley Stevens, a student Peer Advising Liaison (PAL) through the UARC will also be recognized. Stevens, who is studying elementary education and history, has been a peer adviser for two years and will continue her role through her graduation in December.

Stevens’ nomination describes her as responsible, calm, organized, confident and a good role model to other PALs. In Stevens’ role, she helps students navigate through general education requirements, class registration, degree audits and also staffs a satellite office within a residence hall to provide advising help to students.

“Other PALs look to her for clarification when they encounter something confusing; moreover, she very conscientiously seeks correct information when she is not certain about an answer…She exemplifies the type of peer adviser UW Oshkosh is proud to have as part of our campus community,” Cindy Fruhwirth, director of the PALs program, wrote in Stevens’ nomination.

The UW Oshkosh PAL program in its entirety was also selected as an Exemplary Practice to be included in the second edition of the National Academic Advising Association Peer Advising Monograph, Whalley said. The program, which is funded by differential tuition, was nominated by Fruhwirth.

“It is an honor to be selected from the numerous submissions from across the nation and cited as a model for other campuses to follow,” Whalley said. “This recognition is a testament to the amazing work Cindy, the entire PAL committee in the UARC and the PALs do every day to help our students successfully navigate their college experience.”

Learn more:

• UW Oshkosh Undergraduate Advising Resource Center 
• UW Oshkosh PALs program
• Wisconsin Academic Advising Association

Now, at 22, Shier has already made his dream come true – he graduated from Fox Valley Technical College with a degree in aviation in 2011 – and is a pilot rated for commercial single and multi-engine land and airplane instruments. He can fly.

But that isn’t stopping Shier from wanting to learn more.

In spring 2012, Shier will began his aviation-focused coursework at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh to earn a bachelor’s degree. The coursework is part of a new agreement between  UW Oshkosh and FVTC  that allows students in aeronautics pilot training and aircraft electronics programs at FVTC to transfer credits into a UWO aviation management emphasis. The agreement was solidified with signatures from UW Oshkosh Chancellor Richard H. Wells and FVTC President Susan May July 12; the signing appropriately took place at the Experimental Aircraft Association Museum in Oshkosh.

The agreement between the two institutions presents a package to students not available through traditional, four-year flight schools.

“The UW Oshkosh program is 100 percent online, so I can gain flight hours while I work and I can earn my bachelor’s degree at the same time,” Shier said.

In addition to the online format, for Shier, the decision to attend UW Oshkosh was largely based on cost and the ability to transfer his credits.

“Other schools are a lot more expensive, and at FVTC they offer the same thing, if not more,” Shier said. “You actually get more ratings at FVTC, and the fact that they have the transfer agreement with UW Oshkosh really saves a lot on cost.”

Shier is currently enrolled in the Leadership and Organizational Studies online bachelor’s degree program at UW Oshkosh, and said he wants to enroll in the aviation management emphasis.

“I plan to take the aviation emphasis because I have such a drive for aviation,” Shier said. “It is easier to go to school for something that you really want — it makes retaining information a lot easier.”

The transition from hands-on classroom learning to online learning was an adjustment for Shier, but he said his instructors were very flexible and easy to work with.

Shier continues to work full-time as a flight instructor intern while taking classes, which he said has challenged him mentally, but it wasn’t more than he could handle.

“I’ve talked to a lot of pilots who went through the FVTC aviation program and they said there is a lot of downtime in the hotels when you’re flying for work,” Shier said. “What else are you going to do besides schoolwork — you’ve got to keep yourself busy.”

After Shier completes his bachelor’s degree, he hopes to continue in his career path as a pilot.

“The main reason I chose to go on for my bachelor’s degree is I want to work for a legacy airline, such as Delta or Southwest airlines. They require a bachelor’s degree,” Shier said.

While a bachelor’s degree isn’t required to become a pilot, most companies are using it as another way to filter their applicants, according to Shier.

As he continues to work toward his goal of working for a legacy airline, Shier said it means a lot to him to be able to show people how close he is.

“There were people who didn’t believe me when I said I wanted to go to school to be a pilot,” Shier said. “So, it’s pretty cool to go back home and show my friends that I am achieving my goals and living my dream.”

Learn more:

• For more information on the aviation management program at UW Oshkosh, visit uwosh.edu/go/aviation or call (800) UWO-INFO.
• For more information on the pilot and aviation programs at FVTC, visit fvtc.edu/pilot.

With degrees from nursing to journalism to K-12 education either in hand or in sight, these  women – a combination of students and graduates – are not only using the pageant to help propel their further educations and promote community-focused platforms, each is an advocate for higher education.

“Not many people get their dream job right out of college, but, somehow, I managed to,” said Miranda Rosenthal, 22, Miss Onalaska 2012.

Rosenthal graduated UW Oshkosh with a nursing degree in May. She takes her state board of certification test in July and then will begin her career working in the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center’s trauma emergency center in LaCrosse, next door to her native Onalaska.

Rosenthal touts the importance of staying focused and active in a lifelong activity or hobby as her pageant platform, “Shooting for Success: Targeting Right Decisions.” She uses the sport of archery as a literal and metaphorical example of her message, intended for middle-school age young people.

“I’m able to say, ‘This is what you want to do with your life — what can we do to help you reach your goals? How can we keep you focused?’” she said.

The pageant is celebrating 50 years in Oshkosh this summer. Over that half-century, from year to year, there have typically been a few UW Oshkosh students who have won regional, Miss-Wisconsin-connected contests, advancing them to the marquee scholarship pageant held in the institution’s backyard.

This year, Rosenthal’s fellow Titans in the running for the Miss Wisconsin crown include: Miss Heart of the Valley Desiree Geffers (’11, degree in elementary and special education); Miss Wisconsin Central Mariah Haberman (’10, degree in journalism); Miss Madison-Capital City Chelsea Hammett (pursuing a degree in elementary education); and Miss Oshkosh Samantha Philip (entering her junior year at UW Oshkosh).

And it isn’t just Titans entering the fold every year. The UW System of institutions is well represented in the 2012 pageant.

Another five of the 23 Miss Wisconsin contestants are UW-Milwaukee students or grads. Several others have attended or are attending UW System schools including UW-Green Bay, UW-LaCrosse, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Whitewater.

The pageant concludes June 16 with the crowning of a new Miss Wisconsin.

Miss Oshkosh Samantha Philip’s ties to UW Oshkosh are many. Not only does she attend her hometown four-year institution, her father George Philip, Ph.D., is a professor of information systems in the UW Oshkosh College of Business.

Philip, 20, said she enjoys sharing the story of her life and educational journey when she gets the chance to speak to young people.

Her platform – “Adoption: The Option of Hope” – is directly related to her personal story. Her parents, who hail from India, came to the U.S. but returned to adopt her from an orphanage as an infant. Philip was raised in Oshkosh.

“It’s really awesome being able to tell (young people) how I even got to be here in Wisconsin and especially at UW Oshkosh,” she said.

Philip is currently taking general education courses at UW Oshkosh with hopes of using them to propel her into further education at Columbia College, a private school where she’ll pursue a degree and career in the music and entertainment industries. She said her education at UW Oshkosh has opened her eyes to a number of other fields and career pursuits that could intersect with her specific passion.

“I’m finding a lot of different interests I have,” Philip said. “I took a creative writing course and also a psychology course in criminal justice. I’m somebody who wants to do so many things, so I hope to not just pursue music.”

Past Miss Oshkosh winners (since ’04) who are UW Oshkosh Titans

• 2011    Kelsey McDaniels ’11
• 2010    Shawna Pawlowicz ’09
• 2009    Chelsea Hammett, UWO junior
• 2008    Tosha Herrman ’09
• 2007    Desiree Geffers, ’10
• 2006    Janelle Larie ’10
• 2005    Jantira Thomas ’07
• 2004    Jenna (Poeschl) Erdman ’07

Learn more:

• 2012 Miss Wisconsin Scholarship Pageant

Dozens of high school juniors and seniors attended information sessions and took tours to determine if UW Oshkosh is the right fit.

Kody Kellner, a junior at Appleton East High School, attended preview day with his mother, a UW Oshkosh alumna.

“My mom being an alumna is one reason why I decided to check out UW Oshkosh, but I’ve heard really great things about the campus, too,” Kellner said.

This year, the kickoff to UW Oshkosh’s Preview Days coincides with the unveling of a new Admissions campaign encouraging prospective students to “Meet UW Oshkosh.” Students, parents and alumni are able to connect early through social media outlets such as Twitter and share where their interests and passions intersect at UW Oshkosh. The Admissions team is promoting the use of the Twitter hashtag #meetmyuwo. Students and parents are also invited to connect and stay up-to-date on academic and residence life developments through UW Oshkosh’s other social networks, including YouTube and Facebook.

Nicole Zedler, co-coordinator of Titan Preview Days with the UW Oshkosh Office of Undergraduate Admissions, said the events provide information to potential students and their parents about what kinds of opportunities the University has to offer.

“There will be a lot of students, mostly high school juniors, here to learn about the many different things they can do here at UW Oshkosh,” Zedler said.

Information sessions at this preview day included presentations by Career Services, the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, Admissions and Residence Life offices.

The campus and its array of new and renovated buildings and grounds impressed Kellner’s mother, Jill.

“I know it’s been a long time since I’ve gone here, but the changes on campus are just unreal, with the new academic building and dorm going up,” she said. “It’s just changed a lot. I’m really impressed.”

Beyond being impressed by the physical transformation of the campus in recent years, the Kellners said they were both very satisfied with the information they received during the sessions and tour. Even though students beginning college in fall 2013 have months before they have to make a decision about which university to attend, Kody Kellner said this preview day definitely helped him to narrow down his decision.

“Learning about the legal studies option really helped a lot during the academic fair today,” he said. “That’s what I’m really interested in right now, so I’m glad they have those options … I haven’t completely made up my mind, but UW Oshkosh is definitely really high up there on my list after today.”

Learn more:

• Undergraduate Admissions Office 
• Visit UWO 
• Get the UWO Everwhere You GO! mobile app

University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Geology Department Assistant Professor Joe Peterson and his undergraduate research students made a recent trip to Aurora in Oshkosh with dinosaur bones in hand — part of a research mission designed to obtain some more information to help them ask better questions of a specific dinosaur species.

Peterson, along with UW Oshkosh students Collin Dischler, a junior studying geology, and Carol Bigalke, a senior studying geology and anthropology, sent the dinosaur samples through an Aurora CT scan machine last week. The scan produced images of very small slices of the specimens. Peterson and his students will use the images to develop new questions about and study the behavior and injuries of the Stegoceras, Hansseusia and Colepiocephale, all types of pachycephalosaurid dinosaurs that lived more than 75 million years ago.

The student researchers said the scans will help them discuss, debate and ask questions about what purpose the distinct, bony tops of the heads of these dinosaurs had.

“I’ve liked dinosaurs for a long time, so this is pretty cool,” said Bigalke.

Aurora Health Care’s CT team in Oshkosh was as excited to be a part of the collaboration as Peterson and his students were about the opportunity to scan the bones.

“Our equipment can do such amazing things… the images give them a lot of detail and might give them the answers they are looking for,” said Michelle Crile, a CT technician at Aurora who assisted the UW Oshkosh team. “This is really fun for us. It’s neat to be able to work together on something like this.”

Learn more about what Peterson, Dischler and Bigalke are hoping to study and learn…

UW Oshkosh students meet with State Sen. Jess King

The State Capitol rotunda was buzzing with undergraduate students from throughout the UW System – including six from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh – March 7.

Hundreds of students participated in the annual “Posters in the Rotunda,” a celebration of undergraduate student research, where they shared stories and presented their ideas and findings to Wisconsin legislators.

“Research isn’t really worth anything if no one sees it,” said Kimberly Barth, a junior studying computer science who proudly took her spot near her poster throughout the day Wednesday.

Barth’s research helped her create a tool to master programming concepts, she said.

Both State Rep. Gordon Hintz and State Sen. Jess King stopped by to interact with UW Oshkosh students.

“The senator was all about my project, which is so cool,” said Jennifer Kellerhuis, a senior studying athletic training, after King spent some time chatting with her.

Kellerhuis looked at sustainability in collegiate athletic training. She said being part of “Posters in the Rotunda” was a cool experience for her.

“To get out and there and talk about research and about UW Oshkosh is cool,” she said.

Faculty advisors and other student researchers agreed.

UW Oshkosh students meet with State Rep. Gordon Hintz

“We have a lot of students doing great research and this provides them with a forum to get the word out,” said Dan Schmidt, who served as a faculty adviser to the kinesiology and athletic training students who brought their research to Madison

Schmidt assisted Grant O’Connell, a senior studying kinesiology.

“I was the adviser, but he was really the driving force,” Schmidt said of O’Connell, who studied runners’ injuries. “Grant always goes the extra yard; he wants to know more, which lends itself to a good research project. You don’t get grades for this stuff; it’s all above and beyond.”

O’Connell said he believes participating in the research process was valuable for him and will help him in grad school, which is what he plans to do upon graduation from UW Oshkosh.

“If you want to go to grad school, I’d say undergraduate research is really important,” O’Connell said.

Plus, the process of doing research – coming up with an idea, making it happen and figuring out how to present the data  –  was what was eye-opening to most students, they said.

“Knowing how to do research gives you a lot of respect for the other research you see,” said Kellerhuis. “I kind of know the process now and I have a building block to work off of. I feel like I could apply what I learned to other research.”

Stephanie Spehar, a UW Oshkosh professor, anthropologist and adviser for student research, agreed. Spehar led Eric Fell to Borneo, where he eventually discovered a primate, the Miller’s Grizzled Langur, thought to be extinct.

“This kind of research says a lot about UW Oshkosh and the quality of education we offer,” Spehar said. “We’re doing something that matters. It’s taking what we are doing at UWO and bringing it to the public highlighting why education and the state system is so important.”

Spehar added: “As a faculty member, we are encouraged to include undergrads in our research. And we do. At UW Oshkosh, we do a good job of that. The skills they gain through research will serve our students in whatever they do. It’s a huge, valuable part of education.”

Read more:

• UWO prof, student on team to discover primate in Borneo thought to be extinct 
• UWO undergraduates to present research to legislators at state Capitol

The celebration of undergraduate research gives students and faculty advisors from various UW system campuses a chance to present their undergraduate research to students, state legislators and University of Wisconsin alumni.

This year, making #UWposters a trending topic on Twitter is also a goal; those attending are encouraged to tweet reactions and photos and tag legislators throughout the day-long event.

Tom Grogan, the senior special assistant for the UW Oshkosh Chancellors Office, expressed his enthusiasm for the event.

“This event showcases the talent of our students and the close working relationship they have with our faculty,” Grogan said.  “It is a reflection of exemplary work being done by faculty and students from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.”

Jennifer Kellerhuis, a senior majoring in athletic training, is presenting her poster on “Sustainability in Collegiate Athletic Training.”

“I chose to research sustainability in the athletic training setting because athletic training is the profession that I will be in. UW Oshkosh is one of the schools most concerned with sustainability, which gave me the idea for the project,” Kellerhuis said.

Kellerhuis’ main objective in presenting her poster at the Madison event is to show how and if the demographics of a college have an impact on sustainability when being broken down into three categories: social, financial and environmental.

“The nature, character and quality of the research is always a surprise for legislators and others to see. Just about everyone is surprised, and impressed, by the depth and quality of the research,” Grogan said.

Kimberly Barth, a UW Oshkosh junior majoring in computer science, also will be presenting her research at Posters in the Rotunda.

“I was influenced by the computer science department on campus to pick a topic that had to do with algorithm visualizations,” Barth said. “My partner and I choose object composition because there was a large void in algorithm visualization when beginning programming topics were concerned.”

Barth wants people who view her research to know “that in all fields computer animated visualization are important tools in helping students learn well.”

Participating in the Posters in the Rotunda event has influenced Barth to pursue graduate school after the completion of her bachelor’s degree from UW Oshkosh, she said.

“It is always inspiring to see how our students are actively engaged in the advancement of knowledge and the discovery of new findings.  This event is a real tribute to the high-quality instruction taking place at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh,” Grogan said.

Follow UW Oshkosh Today on Twitter (@UWOshkoshToday) for day-of live tweets.

UW Oshkosh participants:

• Kimberly Barth (George Thomas, Computer Science), “Creating a Visualization Tool for Object Composition”
• Eric Fell (Stephanie Spehar, Anthropology), “Use of Mineral Drinks by Diverse Animal Species in East Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo”
• Jennifer Kellerhuis (Robert Sipes, Kinesiology/Athletic Training), “Sustainability in Collegiate Athletic Training”
• Katie Kufahl (Amy Knepple-Carney, Psychology), “Cross-Cultural Attitudes Toward Affirmative Action in Brazil and the United States”
• Derrick Lashua (Angela Subulwa, Geography & Urban Planning), “Sudanese Refugee Perspectives on the Emergence of South Sudan”
• Grant O’Connell (Dan Schmidt, Kinesiology), “The Potential Effects of Natural Surface Training on Lower Extremity Strength and Running Economy in Endurance Runners: A Case Study.”

Learn more:

• Posters in the Rotunda 2012
• UW Oshkosh on Twitter
• UW System on Twitter
• UW students to exhibit research in Capitol

With the spring semester in full swing, there’s no shortage of things to do or see around UW Oshkosh.

Check out This Week in Focus…