Dear Campus Community,

Great news-- thanks to your feedback we continue to make steady progress on the Assurance Argument for Reaffirmation of Accreditation by HLC!  New drafts are now available on Acelink:

https://acelink.evansville.edu/Areas/HLC/AssuranceArgument.cfm

In appreciation of your willingness to plow through 35,000 words, we are offering to reward the first five people who respond with editing remarks with the beverage of your choice at the Slice.  Please email comments and questions to hlc_answers@evansville.edu.  Comments must be received before December 15 to be eligible to win.

As always, we appreciate your time and commitment to the University.

Sincerely,

Mark Valenzuela, PhD, and Chris Mohn, PhD
Co-chairs, HLC Assurance Committee

You’re invited to Cupcakes for a Cause, benefiting the United Way of Southwestern Indiana. The bright pink Sassy Sweets Confections cupcake truck will be parked on campus on Thursday, December 10 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. between Olmsted Administration Hall and Koch Center for Engineering and Computer Science. Various flavors of delicious cupcakes will be available for $3 each or $15 for a half dozen. Please stop by for delicious treats and to help the United Way reach their goal for the community of $4.5 million!

Order your cupcakes for the holidays!
During Cupcakes for a Cause, Sassy Sweets Confections will also be taking orders to bake their delicious treats for any of your upcoming holiday needs. Proceeds from the orders placed during this event will also go to the United Way of Southwestern Indiana. Click here to view a menu of cupcakes.

Text to donate.
In addition to joining us for Cupcakes for a Cause, you may also text “PUSH” to 71777 to make a donation to the United Way of Southwestern Indiana. Your donation helps touch the lives of 1 out of 3 people in United Way's three county area.

The Department of Music invites the greater Evansville community to its annual Holiday Pops concert on Tuesday, December 8, at 7:30 p.m. The concert will take place in Victory Theatre in downtown Evansville, and the concert program will feature the University Choir, the Women’s and Mixed Choruses, the chamber choir Kantorei, the UE Symphony Orchestra, the UE Wind Ensemble, and the Department’s Harlaxton Wind Quintet separately and in various combinations. Director of Choral Activities Dennis Malfatti, Director of Bands Kenneth Steinsultz, and Visiting Director of Orchestral Activities Jessica Morel will lead the ensembles in a program of traditional and popular holiday favorites. Assistant Professor of Voice Alanna Keenan, Visiting Instructor of Piano Daniel Lin, and student soloists Payton Judd and Ian Murrell will also participate in the merriment. The concert is free and open to the public. 

All are welcome to join the Newman Club for our weeknight Mass on Tuesday, December 8, at 9:30 pm in Neu Chapel as we celebrate the Church's feast of the Immaculate Conception. Father Christopher Droste will be here to celebrate with us and will be available for confessions starting at 9:00 pm. We hope to see you there!

**There will be no regular Wednesday night service due to Reading Study Day.**

Please call/text Kristel at (812) 760-8610 for more information! 

Cara Wood has served as the assistant director of the Center for Student Engagement for 6 1/2 years. She is now leaving UE to become the assistant director in the Office of Student Activities at Georgia Southern University. A reception will be held in the Center for Student Engagement on Tuesday, December 8 from 3-5 pm. Cara's last day will be Friday, December 11. Please stop by and wish her well and thank her for her service to the University of Evansville. 

The Pancake Study Break is back for the fall semester! Take this opportunity to relax a bit before finals start. Join us for pancakes and excitement on Tuesday, December 8, from 10:00 pm to midnight in the dining hall in Ridgway University Center. Door prizes will be awarded. The event is free of charge for UE students. A UE ID will be required. 

The TIAA-CREF representative will be on the UE campus on Tuesday, December 8, for individual counseling sessions.  To schedule an appointment, call TIAA-CREF at 1-800-732-8353 or 317-706-6200.  The sessions are held in the Clifford Rare Books Room of the University Libraries (room 158).

TIAA-CREF is also accepting appointments for Tuesday, January 12.

If you have any questions, call Carol McCraney at 488-2943.

Join us as we thank Andrea Daub, assistant director of Institutional Research, for her service to the University. Andrea is leaving UE to embark on new endeavors. A reception will be held Wednesday, December 9 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. in Academic Affairs.

Free off site paper shredding by Piranha Mobile Shredding will return to the campus once again on Wednesday, December 9, from 9:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 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 100 lb. paper limit per visit (number of visits is not limited).

Students who have received Federal Direct (sub/unsub) Loans and plan to graduate in December 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 the semester on Wed., Dec. 9 (Reading/Study Day) from 2:00-2:30 p.m. in Ridgway University Center, Eykamp 251. 

The Neu Chapel Society, established in 2010, has voted unanimously to fund updates to the landscaping around Neu Chapel, which will include new flowers and plants, updating and repairing surrounding porches, and installing inviting benches for conversation and contemplation. Thank you, Neu Chapel Society for adopting sacred space on campus!

The mission of the Neu Chapel Society is to support Religious Life at the University of Evansville, consistent with the University's commitment to inclusiveness and longstanding relationship with The United Methodist Church.

For more information about becoming a member of the Neu Chapel Society, email Laurel Vaughn, lvaughn@twc.com.
 

Intersession books are now available for purchase in the UE Bookstore. If you're taking an Intersession class be sure to stop in the Bookstore before you leave for the holidays so that you can take the book with you. Please ask store staff to assist you with finding the book you need. 

Since UE campus will be closed from Wednesday, December 23 through January 3, please note the following adjustments and plan accordingly. Campus will reopen on Monday, January 4.

Central Receiving
• Central Receiving will be accepting shipments on Tuesday, December 22, until 3:00 p.m.
• Packages will not be accepted after 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 22, through Sunday, January 3.
• In-House Supply Orders received prior to 3:00 p.m. on Monday, December 21, will be delivered on the afternoon run of Tuesday, December 22.
• In-House Supply Orders received after 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 22, will be delivered on Monday’s afternoon run, January 4.
• Central Receiving will be closed over the Christmas break.

Mail Services
• The daily mail run will begin at 9:30 a.m. (which is the normal schedule) on Tuesday, December 22, and Monday, January 4.
• Mail will be delivered to Administrative offices (student accounts, registrar, accounting & audit, financial aid, etc.) on Tuesday, December 22.
• Mail will be delivered to offices that notify Mail Services by Friday, December 18, that they will have someone available in the routine office mail delivery location to receive mail on Tuesday, December 22.
• A “Campus Mail Delivery Services Reminder/Notification” will be sent with campus mail the week of December 7 for departments to complete and return if open (someone will be available in the routine office mail delivery location to receive mail) on December 22.
• Note: Offices closed with staff on vacation December 22 do not need to complete the “Campus Mail Delivery Services Reminder/Notification”.
• All outgoing mail must be in Mail Services on December 22, no later than 2:00 p.m. to be mailed same day.
• The United States Post Office will be closed Friday, December 25 and Friday, January 1.

Copy Services
Please plan your copy job requirements ahead of time to provide sufficient turn-around time as Copy Services will be closed over the break.

For questions, contact Kim Winsett at extension 2940 or email kw83@evansville.edu

Fitness Center Winter Break Hours are:

• Wednesday December 9 through Friday, December 11 from 8 am-7 pm
• Saturday December 12 and Sunday, December 13 from 11:30-5:30 pm
• Monday December 14 through Wednesday, December 16 from 8 am-7 pm
• Thursday, December 17 and Friday, December 18 from 8 am-6 pm
• Closed Saturday December 19 and Sunday, December 20
• Monday, December 21 from 8 am-6 pm
• Tuesday December 22 from 8 am-2 pm
• Wednesday December 23 through Sunday, January 3 Closed
• Monday January 4 through Friday, January 8 from 8 am-6 pm
• *No evening open swim starting December 9
• *Open swim starting December 9 through December 16 pending guard availability 

Any current student needing their official transcript now must submit an order no later than 5pm on Wednesday December 9. Orders placed after 5 pm will not be processed until Monday December 21. NO EXCEPTIONS. Orders can be placed through: www.getmytranscript.com. If you need assistance please contact the Office of the Registrar 812-488-2600. 

Library hours during Finals will be:

• Reading Study Day - Wednesday, Dec 9: 7:45 am - 1 am
• Thursday, Dec 10: 7:45 am - 1 am
• Friday, Dec 11: 7:45 am - 6 pm
• Saturday, Dec 12: 10 am - 6 pm
• Sunday, Dec 13: 12 pm - 1 am
• Monday, Dec 14: 7:45 am - 1 am
• Tuesday, Dec 15: 7:45 am - 12 am
• Wednesday, Dec 16: 7:45 am - 5 pm 

All students who earned Dean's List status for Spring Semester 2015 are recognized by an exhibit in the display cases in the University Libraries' atrium. The exhibit continues through the end of this semester. 

The US Department of Education requires universities to disclose consumer information to prospective and enrolled students, parents, and employees. This information is available on the University of Evansville Web site at http://www.evansville.edu/tuitionandaid/consumer.cfm. Questions about this information may be directed to the Office of Financial Aid at 800-424-8634, (812) 488-2364, or financialaid@evansville.edu.  Information included on the Consumer information page: 

Topics:

• Academic Programs
• Accrediting and Licensing Agencies
• Alcohol and Drug Policy/Prevention Programs
• Athletics Program Participation Rates and Financial Support Data
• Code of Conduct
• Copyright Infringement Policy and Peer to Peer File Sharing Information
• Cost of Attendance
• Diversity – Study Body Diversity by Gender, Ethnicity, and Pell Grant Status
• Emergency Response and Evacuation Information
• Employment and Graduate School Information for Recent UE Graduates
• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
• Federal Student Financial Aid Penalties for Drug Law Violations
• Financial Aid Information
• General Information
• Graduation Rates by gender, race and ethnicity, and selected financial aid groups
• Graduation Rates for General Student Body
• Graduation Rates for Student-Athletes
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
• Loan Forgiveness Information
• Missing Person Protocol
• Net Price Calculator
• Refund Policy and Return of Title IV Funds
• Retention and Graduation Rates of Degree-Seeking, First-Time, Undergraduate Students
• Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
• Security and Fire Safety Report
• Services and Facilities for Students with Disabilities
• Study Abroad
• Teacher Preparation Accountability
• Textbook Information
• Transfer Policies on Credits that Transfer to UE
• Transfer Articulation Agreement Partner Colleges
• Vaccination Policies
• Verification Policy
• Veteran Information
• Voter Registration Information

The bi-weekly payroll for December 18th will be direct deposited on Friday morning, December 18. The monthly payroll for December 31 will be direct deposited on Thursday, 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.
 

As employees will not return from the Christmas holiday break until after the normal time card entry deadline of Saturday, December 26, for the January 1, 2016 bi-weekly payroll, the Office of Accounting/Payroll is asking all staff to enter their time on WebAdvisor for the pay period December 13 to 26 by Wednesday, December 16. Supervisors are asked to approve timecards by Thursday, December 17.

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

Graves Hall is collecting the following donations for the Evansville Rescue Mission and the Christian Life Center this Christmas season: new gloves, mittens, socks, hats scarves for men, women and children. These items can be placed on the Christmas tree in the lobby of Graves Hall. We are also collecting new or gently used coats for children in grades K-5. The coats can be placed in the box in the lobby of Graves Hall. Also, men's toiletries for the Evansville Rescue Mission (body wash, shampoo, shaving cream, deodorant, disposable shavers, toothpaste, toothbrushes, body lotion) can be put in one of the designated boxes in the lobby of Graves hall. Please No travel sizes; No bar soap; No items containing alcohol. Thank you! 

The residence halls will be closed for winter break from noon on December 17 to noon on January 8. 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/r/WinterHousing by noon on Reading & Study Day to be considered. For more information about Winter Housing, contact the office of residence life. 

Krista Williams, assistant professor of French, will present a poster at the annual conference of the Linguistic Society of America, which will take place in January in Washington, DC. Her project concerns the lack of linguistic unity of Occitan speakers, as evidenced by the titles of their dictionaries. She finds that many speakers of Occitan dialects identify linguistically with their dialect rather than with Occitan as a whole. As Occitan is an endangered language, and standardization plays such a vital role in the health of a language, this lack of unity is detrimental to the survival of the language. 

On Saturday, December 5, the London Times included The Thames & Hudson Introduction to Art on their list of Art “Books of the Year.” Written by Debra DeWitte, Ralph Larmann (UE professor of art), and Kathryn Shields, this book originated as a textbook, but has gained popular attention because it acquaints a viewer with art in new and innovative ways. 

Professor Larmann not only contributes the majority of the written content, but also all line art and text design direction.

This is not the first mention of the text in the Times, it was also featured on September 4 and received a full page review that endorsed the book, describing its innovative structure as an, “… emphatically multivalent approach that makes this book special.”

The text is currently in its third printing since its initial release on September 21.

Matthew Knoester, assistant professor of education, and Paul Parkison, chair of the Department of Education, have published a manuscript in Critical Education, a refereed, open access journal published by the Institute for Critical Education Studies (ICES). 

In a manuscript entitled "Where is Citizenship Education in the Age of Common Core State Standards?", (http://ices.library.ubc.ca/index.php/criticaled) the following is perspective is presented:

"There was a time in United States history when the central argument for investing in public education was to ensure that voters were sufficiently informed about the issues of the day to make wise decisions: education for self-governance. According to multiple sources, voter ignorance remains a serious concern and this may be a factor in why the political system in the United States is not more responsive to the needs and preferences of the electorate. Based on an analysis of political discourse and educational policy initiatives, this essay argues that democratic citizenship education has been sidelined by the focus on education for jobs and the economy and outlines what a serious focus on education for active democratic citizenship should entail."

Contributions to Critical Education are critically examined, contemporary education contexts, practices, and theories.

Critical Education publishes theoretical and empirical research as well as articles that advance educational practices that challenge the existing state of affairs in society, schools, higher education, and informal education.

Tonight, the University of Evansville and Arkansas will meet for the first time on the hardwood as the Purple Aces travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas to take on the Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena.

Set to be televised live on the SEC Network, the game will begin at 8 p.m. CT.

For the first time since December of 1991, Evansville defeated Murray State as UE earned an 85-81 overtime win against the Racers on Saturday at CFSB Center. After trailing by 13 points in the early minutes of the game, UE battled back to trail by five at the break before taking the lead in the second half. Evansville shot 56.1% in the game and now stands at 53.2%, which ranks fourth in the nation and tops in the MVC.

Tuesday’s game against the Razorbacks marks a couple of firsts for the UE program, most notably it will be the first meeting against Arkansas. It will also mark the first appearance for the Aces on the SEC Network while it is the first visit to an SEC campus since Dec. 17, 2003 when the Aces traveled to Oxford, Miss. to face Ole Miss, falling by a final of 69-66. Evansville visited Missouri in 2006, but that Mizzou was in the Big 12 at the time.

Egidijus Mockevicius has hauled in at least 11 rebounds in 7 out of 8 games this year and sits second in the nation with an average of 13.5 per game; he leads the MVC list by 5.9 per game. His scoring has also been stellar as Mockevicius has notched 17.5 points per game, ranking fifth in the MVC; in his career, Mockevicius has scored 20 points or more on seven occasions in his career, four of those efforts have come in the last 7 games.

With 1,944 points in his career, D.J. Balentine ranks atop the active NCAA scoring list and his average of 22.3 points per game this year is tops in the MVC and 14th in the NCAA. In the road win against Murray State, Balentine drained 12 of his 20 attempts, tying a career-high for made shots while also scoring a season-high of 32 points.

Arkansas has posted a 3-4 mark through its first seven contests of the season following an 88-85 loss at Wake Forest on Friday. The Razorbacks are ranked in the top 25 in the country in points per game, notching 85.7 per contest. Offensively, Arkansas has shot 46.1% while its opponents have shot 45.5%; one staple of the Razorbacks is their stifling defense, which has forced 113 turnovers.

Dusty Hannahs leads the Razorbacks with 17.6 points per game while hitting an unbelievable 25 out of his 26 free throw attempts on the season. Next up for Arkansas is Moses Kingsley, who has notched 16.4 PPG while posting a team-high 9.7 rebounds. Anthlon Bell (15.7 points) and Jimmy Whitt (10.3 points) also average double figures in scoring.

Mississippi Valley State comes to town on Saturday for a 3 p.m. game against the Purple Aces. 

Just days after opening up their home schedule, the Purple Aces women’s basketball team returns to the road to face Nebraska on Tuesday evening at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Game time on Tuesday is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be available on BTN Plus.

Evansville fell by a final of 73-54 in Saturday’s home opener versus Murray State. Sara Dickey led the way for UE with 24 points while Ashley Hawkins fell just short of a double-double with 8 points and 8 rebounds.

After being held to single digits in the games against Santa Clara and Bowling Green, Sara Dickey rebounded in a big way in the home opener against Murray State. Dickey hit 8 out of 19 shots on her way to 24 points. Dickey knocked down three triples and 5 out of 6 free throws. She continues to lead UE with 16 points per game and is the top rebounder with 4.9 per contest.

Camille Coleman had the best outing of her young career at Bowling Green, tallying 19 points while hitting six shots, four triples and all three free throws. Coleman now has three double digit outings in seven games. She is looking for more consistency in the other games as she has averaged under 4 points per game in the other contests.

One of the primary factors contributing to a 1-6 start for the Aces has been their propensity to turn it over. In all seven games this season, UE has recorded more turnovers than assists. Shooting has also been pivotal. In the two games the Aces have shot over 41%, they earned a win and fell in double overtime.

Nebraska enters Tuesday’s tilt with a 6-1 overall record with their only blemish of the season coming against top-ranked Connecticut on the road. The Cornhuskers are coming off of a pair of strong victories, defeating NC State by a final of 88-67 on Thursday before taking down Creighton, 65-63, on Saturday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Jessica Shepard is the top scorer for Nebraska, checking in with 19.4 points per game; she is also the second-ranked rebounder on the squad with 7.9 per outing. Natalie Romeo has averaged 15.9 points and is one of the top free throw shooters in the nation as she has seen 90.9% of her attempts find the bottom of the net.

For the sixth time in his career at the University of Evansville, senior D.J. Balentine has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week.

Balentine had his best week of the season and one of the top efforts of his career was the Purple Aces picked up victories over Alabama State and Murray State. Just two days after completing the Wooden Legacy in California, UE returned home to face the Hornets and Balentine was on fire, draining 10 out of 13 shots, 4 out of 5 triples and dished out 8 assists in a 26-point effort.

He upped the ante on Saturday as he led Evansville to its first win over Murray State since 1991. Balentine was 12-20 from the floor and finished with a game-high 32 points in the win that ended an 18-game home win streak for the Racers. Balentine averaged 29 points per game over the week while shooting 66.7% (22/33). Most of those shots came from at least 10 feet out. The senior also posted a total of 13 assists and was 6 out of 9 from outside.

His award marks the third time in four weeks that the Purple Aces have grabbed the MVC weekly honor. Egidijus Mockevicius was named the Player of the Week the other two times.
 

Faculty and staff are now able to pick up their two complimentary tickets to the men's and women's basketball games this Saturday, December 12. The women's team will face off against UT-Martin at 1:00 pm, and the Men's team will be facing off against Mississippi Valley State immediately afterward at 3:00 pm.

Please bring your UE ID to the Carson Center Athletic Ticket Office to pick up your tickets. The Ticket Office is open Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5:30 pm.