UE’s Career Advantage Program (CAP) was the highlight of a recent article in eCampus news, one of higher-ed’s leading online publications that features innovative accomplishments across the industry. Follow the link below to read the interview with President Kazee, and to learn more about the program:
http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/campus-career-university-478/

There will be a Winter Commencement Lunch on Wednesday, December 17, following Baccalaureate. The event is from Noon - 1:00 p.m. in the Cafe Court, Ridgway University Center. Winter graduates can enjoy complimentary lunch from the UE Alumni Association. The cost for guests of the graduates will be $7.50 per person, payable at register.

Register online here for complimentary lunch:

www.uealumnionline.com/wintercommencementlunch

Winter Commencement 2014 is Wednesday, December 17, at 2 p.m., in the Large Gym in Carson Center. This year’s commencement speaker will be Jennie Ebeling, associate professor of archaeology, who received the 2014 Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award during May's commencement ceremony. The ceremony will be followed by a reception for the graduates and their family and friends, in the Class of 1959 Gallery and Lounge in Ridgway University Center. This event is sponsored by the UE Alumni Association.

For anyone who would like to watch the ceremony but cannot attend in person, a live, streaming video will be available at: www.Evansville.edu/Live.

For more information on Winter Commencement go to:www.evansville.edu/commencement

This year’s Baccalaureate ceremony will be Wednesday, December 17 at 11:00 a.m. in Neu Chapel. This interfaith service, led by University Chaplain Tamara Gieselman, is a historical way to celebrate and show thanks for lives dedicated to learning and wisdom.  Degree candidates are not required to robe for this ceremony and are asked to sit with family and friends. Café Court will be open for lunch following Baccalaureate. Graduates will receive a meal coupon via email for their meal, while the cost for lunch for their family and friends will be $7.50.

Join us at the Newman Center - Catholic Campus Ministry House (across from the UE front oval) today for a warm bowl of homemade turkey noodle soup! We will be open all day for you to study, too, if you are looking for a "home-like" setting. Ministry Team Leader Cheryl Zurliene is also baking cookies! Pretty sure you won't want to miss out on a visit to the Newman Center today! BTW -- Mass tonight in Neu Chapel at 9:30 p.m. Take a break from your studying and spend a little time in prayer before those finals begin! 

UE students, faculty, staff, and administrators are invited to attend the 2014 Department of History Senior Thesis Presentations. The presentations will take place on Wednesday, December 10 from 7-9 pm in Room 162, Schroeder School of Business Building. 

The semester ending Book Buyback at the UE Bookstore begins December 10 at NOON and runs until December 17 at 5 p.m. Students are required to show their student ID and you'll get CASH on the spot. Your original receipt is not required. We also buyback books regardless of where purchased or if used on this campus or not. You can sell books back as many times as you like during the week. Special promotions during Buyback as well including a daily drawing for a $100 gift card. 

The UE Bookstore is offering 20% OFF all UE Clothing and Gift purchases December 10-17. There are also specially marked items during the week for quick clearance. Clearance items are exempt from additional discount. 

Students who have received Federal Direct Loans while attending UE and plan to graduate, withdraw, or transfer after the fall semester are required to attend a Loan Repayment Counseling Session. The Office of Financial Aid will hold the last session of this semester on Dec. 10 at 2:00-2:30 p.m. in Hyde Hall, room 126. 

The members of the 2014 UE Organizational Leadership Senior Cohort needs your help! The group is sponsoring a Christmas tree decorating contest fundraiser for Deaconess Riley Children’s Services. Local businesses and institutions are competing in the contest by posting photos of their Christmas trees on: https://www.facebook.com/TrimatreeforRiley.

The winning tree will be chosen by popular vote. Each “Like” on a tree photo is counted as one vote and you can vote from Dec 1-15. UE is participating in the contest.

So please go to https://www.facebook.com/TrimatreeforRiley and vote for your favorite tree. This is a great way to support this fundraiser and show your UE spirit.

This year’s class selected Deaconess Riley Hospital as its project because of its work assisting pediatric patients and their families. The organization benefits over 5,000 patients every year.  

UE students, faculty, staff and administrators are invited to attend the METS Comprehensive Operations Analysis Public Information Meeting on Thursday, Dec. 11, 5:30-7 p.m., at the Evansville Vanderburgh Central Library, Browning Room B. (Central Library is located at 200 SE Martin Luther King Boulevard.) UE students are invited to give their feedback on the bus system in Evansville at the meeting.

The University of Evansville Softball team is in need of 2 student managers for second semester. Scholarship money is available for these positions. We are in need of 2 extremely hard working and dedicated students to assist our program on a daily basis.

Responsibilities include set up and break down of every practice and game. Packing and any other preparation for all road games. Weekend travel required. Get to attend every home game and be a vital part of the softball program.

If interested please contact Aubrey Watson by Monday, December 15.
aw358@evansville.edu 488-2919 

Attention all current students, Wednesday December 10 is the last day to request an official copy of your transcript until December 22 once all grades will be posted. Please go online to www.getmytranscript.com and submit your request by 5 pm on Wednesday December 10. Any requests made after 5pm will not be processed until December 22. 

As employees will not return from the Christmas holiday break until after the normal time card entry deadline of Saturday, December 27, for the January 2, 2015 biweekly payroll, the Office of Accounting & Audit/Payroll is asking all staff to enter their time on WebAdvisor for the period December 14 to 27 by Wednesday, December 17. Supervisors are asked to approve timecards by Thursday, December 18.

If you have any questions, please contact Gloria Spencer at ext. 2159.
 

The Office of Accounting/Payroll will be issuing W-2’s for 2014 no later than January 31, 2015. We are pleased to announce that you can choose one of two options to receive your W-2:
• Electronic W-2 – If you provide your consent, you will receive an e-mail notification via AceNotes Extra that your W-2 is ready to view/print on WebAdvisor.
• Paper W-2 – If you prefer, you can continue to receive a paper W-2 in the mail, as you have in the past.

Among the advantages of electronic W-2’s: (1) you will have access to your W-2 a couple days earlier than a paper copy that is mailed to your home (2) you can print as many copies of the W-2 as you need. The electronic W-2 is IRS compliant and can be submitted with your tax return.

To take advantage of the electronic W-2 option, you must log onto WebAdvisor and select the option “W-2 Electronic Consent”. Click the first radio button to give your consent. You will not receive paper W-2 in the mail if you select the electronic W-2 option.

If you choose to withhold your consent to view/print your online W-2, a paper copy will be prepared and mailed to you at your home address.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Gloria Spencer at ext. 2159. 

The bi-weekly payroll for December 19 will be direct deposited on Friday morning, December 19. The monthly payroll for December 31 will be direct deposited on Wednesday, December 31. As all employees have direct deposit, you will be able to view your online pay advice through WebAdvisor on the morning your pay is direct deposited.

Since the Office of Accounting/Payroll will be closed during the holiday break at the time of the monthly payroll on December 31, you will not receive a courtesy email notification that your pay advice is available. However, you may log on to WebAdvisor and view/print your pay advice or contact your bank to confirm the deposit into your bank account.

If you have any questions, please contact Gloria Spencer at ext. 2159.
 

Please note that the Office of Administrative Services including Purchasing, Copy Services, Mail Services, Recycling, Risk Management, and Central Receiving will be closed for a Christmas staff luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 18. 

The University of Evansville, in pursuit of excellence in service, wishes to recognize a non-faculty employee displaying records of achievement as a leader. Leadership may be demonstrated in any of the following categories: service to the University, service to students, job performance and attitude towards fellow employees. To be eligible, an employee must be a full-time member of administration or staff. Nominations for the January 2015 IMPACT Employee of the Month are due no later than Wednesday, December 10, 2014. To nominate someone, please go to http://acelink.evansville.edu/tools/employeeaward. 

All rental books rented from the UE Bookstore are due back no later than December 17 at 5 p.m. If you have any questions about whether you have rental books out please contact the Bookstore or visit the Rental Return station during Buyback. 

The University of Evansville Men's Basketball team is in need of 2 student managers for second semester. Scholarship money is available for these positions. We are In need of 2 extremely hard working and dedicated students to assist our program on a daily basis.

Responsibilities include set up and break down of every practice and game. Packing and any other preparation for all road games. Get to attend every home game and be a vital part of the basketball program.

If interested please contact Chad Harmon.
Ch121@evansville.edu 488-3800 

The Office of Annual Giving is hiring student callers for the Spring Phonathon campaign to reach out to alumni, friends, and parents of the University beginning in February. They offer flexible hours to work around your schedule and a great working experience. If you are interested in this paying job opportunity you can email jj130. 

Libraries announces hours for Finals:

 Wednesday and Thursday (December 10 and December 11:  7:30 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.

Friday, December 12:  7:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 13:  10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 14:   Noon - 1:00 a.m.

Monday, December 15: 7:30 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.

Tuesday, December 16: 7:30 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.

Wednesday, December 17: Begin Intersession hours - 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 

Free off site paper shredding by Piranha Mobile Shredding will return to the campus once again! All UE students, faculty, staff and alumni can take advantage of this free service by bringing paper to the Piranha truck in Koch parking lot. Paper will be shredded offsite.

So, if mounds of paper are taking over your office, home, or room, this is the time to gather those old files, receipts, cancelled checks, tax forms, etc. No need to take out the staples or paper clips. Avoid identity theft by having confidential information permanently destroyed. Please no telephone books, magazines or newspapers. Also, please note that there is a 100lb. paper limit per visit (number of visits is not limited).

The residence halls will be closed for winter break from noon on December 18 to 3 p.m. on January 9. Students participating in official University functions or other approved activities have the opportunity to apply for Winter Housing. Simply submit an Online Winter Request Form (hyper link this link https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WinterHousing) by noon on Reading & Study Day to be considered. For more information about Winter Housing, contact the office of residence life. 

University of Evansville Director of Athletics Mark Spencer has announced the hiring of Marshall Ray as he sixth head coach of the Purple Aces men’s soccer program.

“We had a fantastic pool of applicants and went through an exhaustive search process in order to find the right person,” Spencer said. “Over 60 applicants from coast-to-coast and around the world applied for the position; that pool included those who have worked for some of the top BCS programs in the nation. This process showed just how respected our program is.”

“I told Marshall at the beginning that he would have been the easy choice, but I wanted to make sure he was the right choice,” Spencer added. “After the search, I am 100% sure that he is the right choice for the future of UE men’s soccer.”

Ray’s ties to the UE program date back to the mid 1990’s when he was an outstanding player for the Purple Aces under head coach Fred Schmalz. As a freshman, Ray was the starting center back for Evansville in the 1995 Missouri Valley Conference final versus Creighton. He was a member of the 1996 Missouri Valley Conference championship team that played in the NCAA Tournament.

After battling through injuries in the middle of his collegiate career, Ray rebounded to finish the 1999 season as the second-leading scorer. A 2000 graduate of UE, Ray was named to the NSCAA Scholar-Athlete All-Region Team as a senior.

"I want to thank Mark Spencer for giving me the opportunity to be the next head coach of the University of Evansville Men's Soccer program,” Ray said. “Since I began my journey in collegiate coaching this is the position I have aspired for.

“UE’s campus is a special place and the relationships that I have established as a student and staff member have played a critical role in my development personally and professionally,” he added. “There are exciting times ahead for our athletic department under Mark's leadership. He has a vision for our program and I look forward to working with him to lead our program to the top of the MVC and in the forefront of the nation."

For the last nine seasons, Ray has been the top assistant to previous head coach Mike Jacobs. The last six have seen Ray serve as an Associate Head Coach. Ray has been regarded as one of the top assistants in the nation and was honored as the NSCAA Midwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year following the 2013 season.

Prior to joining the Evansville coaching staff in 2006, Ray worked at Duke University under legendary coach John Rennie where he was involved in recruiting, player development and day-to-day operations of the 2005 ACC Tournament Champions.

He played professionally for the A-League Nashville Metros in 2001 before working four seasons at Drury University. Following two seasons as an assistant, Ray took over the Drury program in 2003. At the age of 24, he was the youngest Division I coach in the country.

Ray and wife Julia had three children, Patrick, Hilary and Eliza.

“Soccer is a priority for our University and the city of Evansville. I am privileged to call this community home and excited to lead its team now and far into the future. I look forward to the challenges that lie ahead,” Ray added.

Bill Vieth
“Marshall brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the soccer program. He knows what it takes to play at the highest collegiate level and we look forward to him putting UE back on the soccer map.

John Rennie
“Marshall Ray will do a great job as the new head soccer coach at Evansville. I know it fulfills a lifetime goal and Marshall is more than ready to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity. He was an outstanding asset to me and our program at Duke University and I am a big fan. His background as a player and coach is superb and he has a wonderful way of working with players. Congratulations to the Purple Aces on a great hire.”
 

With a season-high 2,091 fans in attendance, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team (4-4) defeated the Oakland City University Lady Oaks 81-40 on Tuesday afternoon. Evansville has now won three straight games and yielded a season-low in points for the second consecutive contest.

Sophomore guard Sara Dickey scored a game-high 22 points with a season-high of seven rebounds and a team-best five assists. Sophomore forward Sasha Robinson recorded her second double-double of the season with 14 points and a career-high 18 rebounds (11 offensive). Senior forward Mallory Ladd also notched a double-double, her third of the season and second in a row, with 18 points and a season-high tying 14 rebounds.

Evansville trailed 7-2 early in the game, their largest deficit of the afternoon. UE responded by going on a 6-0 run on back to back threes from Dickey to take the 8-7 advantage at the 15:25 mark of the opening half. The lead see-sawed over the next few minutes until a free throw from senior guard Khristian Hart moved the Aces ahead 13-12 with 12:47 to go in the first half. The Aces would never trail again in the contest, going on a 20-2 run to build a double-digit lead. Dickey scored 10 points during the 4:29 stretch as UE surged ahead 33-14 with 8:18 to play in the opening half. Evansville extended the lead to 25 points at halftime as Oakland City trailed 50-25. Dickey had 20 points in the first half as Robinson also had 14 rebounds (8 offensive) at that point of the game. UE scored 50 points in the paint, a new season best, 32 of which were in the first half. The Aces had more offensive rebounds (18) then defensive rebounds (14) at halftime.

The Evansville lead never dipped below 25 points during the second half and the advantage grew as large as 43 during the final minutes. Robinson tallied another 10 points in the second half to reach 14 points in the game.

Hart finished the contest with a career-high five steals. Junior guard Laura Friday had a season-high seven points and a career-high tying five assists in the win. Freshman forward Hannah Owens scored her first collegiate points, setting new career-highs with three points and four rebounds in the game. Evansville distributed 20 assists in the contest, the third time this year UE has reached that plateau. The Aces also forced 22 turnovers, which is the third game in a row that Evansville has created 20+ turnovers this season. The 17 steals for UE is second most this year, trailing only the 18 the Aces had at UT-Martin on November 29. Oakland City shot just 27.3% in the game, a low allowed for Evansville’s defense this season.

UE looks to extend their winning streak to four on Saturday, December 18 when they host the Troy Trojans in a 5:30 pm tip at the Ford Center. It is the first of two games that day as the Evansville men’s basketball team plays Ohio University in the final contest of the doubleheader at 8:05 pm. Tickets can be purchased over the phone at 812-488-ACES (2237), in person at either the Carson Center or Ford Center ticket office, or online via Ticketmaster.com.
 

.J. Balentine reeled off his fourth 20-point game in a row to lead the University of Evansville basketball team to a 65-62 victory at Belmont on Tuesday evening at Curb Event Center.

The win for the Purple Aces (7-1) came in a building that saw Belmont (7-2) win 59 of its last 61 games to begin the night.

“They came out and they were more aggressive and outplayed us in the first 20 minutes. Give our guys credit – they came out and regrouped and got off to the start I thought they needed to in the second half,” head coach Marty Simmons said. “We just battled, it’s not easy, they always have five guys that can shoot the three. I thought we showed a lot of grit and character.”

Balentine scored his 25 on 10-of-18 shooting while hauling in five rebounds and dishing out four assists. Egidijus Mockevicius finished the night with 8 points and 8 rebounds while Jaylon Brown equaled the total eight points.

It was a great start for the Purple Aces, who jumped out to a 10-3 lead after hitting their first four shots of the game. D.J. Balentine opened the game with a short jumper before Blake Simmons hit a triple to give UE a quick 5-0 lead.

Evan Bradds got the Bruins on the board two minutes in as his trey made it a 5-3 tilt in favor of the Aces. Balentine added another three while Gibson had a layup to extend the advantage to 10-3. Later, Jaylon Brown ended a 0-4 stretch for the Aces as his jumper put UE on top 12-5.

Belmont began the game 2-9 from the field, but their offense was clicking over the remainder of the period, hitting 10 of their next 17 attempts. Spearheading that effort was Amanze Egekeze, who hit 4 of his 5 attempts and all three from outside. The first lead of the night for Belmont came with 10:14 left in the opening frame as Nick Smith hit a pair of free throws to put them up 18-17.

The advantage reached as many as 10 points at 35-25 as Spencer Turner hit a triple with 3:17 remaining. Evansville was able to cut into the deficit, heading to halftime down 37-29. The Aces outshot the Bruins in the half, hitting 45.8% of their attempts, but the difference came from outside as Belmont was 7-14. Balentine and Egekeze each had 11 at the break.

Evansville ran its offense well after halftime, hitting its first five shots over the first three minutes as they cut the gap to just one at 41-40. Adam Wing capped off the rally with his first bucket of the night. The UE defense forced two turnovers as Belmont took two quick timeouts. Spencer Turner ended the drought at the 16-minute mark as his second triple made it 44-40 in favor of the Bruins.

With 13:48 remaining, the lead went back into the hands of the Aces as Balentine drained a three to give UE a 46-44 edge. He struck again a minute later to put Evansville up 48-44. The lead would reach five on two occasions including 56-51. The mid part of the second stanza was a defensive battle before Jaylon Brown hit a three with the shot clock in its final seconds to put UE up 56-51 with just over three minutes remaining.

On the ensuing possession, Nick Smith struck from three as he heaved a triple at the buzzer with UE playing stellar defense to cut the edge to two. Egidijus Mockevicius got two of those back as Mislav Brzoja assisted on his second bucket of the day. Following a Bruin miss, their bench was called for a technical. Balentine knocked down both shots as UE took a 60-54 lead.

Mockevicius took his turn at the free throw line with 1:38 remaining as he connected on both to give UE its largest lead at 62-54.

A game-changing play took place with just under a minute left. Up seven with the ball, UE turned the ball over and got called for an intentional foul in the span of a few seconds. The team did not let that hurt their momentum as they were able to hang on for the 65-62 win.

UE shot 48.9% for the night, including 52.4% (11/21) in the second half. The defense clamped down in a big way, holding Belmont to just 31.3% (10-of-32) in the second half. After shooting 7-14 from outside in the first period, Belmont was 4-17 in the second half. Four Bruins hit double figures as Egekeze and Bradds notched 13 apiece.

On Saturday, Evansville returns home to face another Ohio Valley Conference team – Murray State. The Aces and Racers face off at 1:05 p.m. inside the Ford Center. Tickets are available by calling 812-488-ACES.

UE faculty/staff can come to the Carson Center Ticket Office and pick up their tickets for this Saturday's (December 13) game at 1:05 p.m. against Murray State. This is a big game for the team and we hope to have all your support.