The University of Evansville’s Winter Commencement ceremony is set for today, Thursday, December 13. The event begins at 3:00 p.m. in Meeks Family Fieldhouse, Carson Center, on UE’s campus. The ceremony will include the announcement of the recipient of the 2018 Exemplary Teacher Award, given by the University to an exceptional member of the faculty in acknowledgment of his or her teaching excellence.

Dave Dwyer, chair of UE’s Department of Mathematics, will be this year’s Winter Commencement speaker. Dwyer was given the Eykamp Prize during UE’s May 2018 commencement ceremony. This annual award, made possible by the generosity the Eykamp Family, recognizes UE faculty who have displayed extraordinary service to the University.

Dwyer has received the Dean’s Teaching Award, the Alumni Association’s Outstanding Teacher Award, and the Berger Award for Scholarship. He has been a member, chair, and co-chair of numerous campus committees. Most recently he was a faculty representative on the Presidential Search Committee. Notably, Dwyer spearheaded the Moonshot group of arts and sciences faculty who have put additional effort into assisting the Office of Admission. He secured two NSF grants totaling over $700,000, which funded the development of a textbook that is currently used in the University’s calculus sequence. Dwyer was instrumental in the decision to create a statistics and data science program, and sought grants to fund its development.

For those who cannot attend Winter Commencement in person, a video of the ceremony will stream live at www.evansville.edu/live.

The UE Bookstore is offering 20% OFF all clothing and gift purchases during Buyback for the holidays, December 7 - 13 (Friday-Thursday). Discount is open to anyone and will be taken from the original price of the item. Items on clearance or already on sale are exempted from this sale amount. Stop in the UE Bookstore and get some holiday shopping done before you leave for the semester.

Submitted by Doug Gustwiller dg57@evansville.edu

Save the date for the Honors Program annual trivia night: Nerd Wars! The event will take place this spring on February 26 at 7:00 p.m. in Eykamp Hall, Ridgway University Center. Be on the lookout for more detailed information about the event (including registration, participation, and MORE) coming to you at the start of the new semester.
Have an amazing Winter Recess and we will see you back on campus soon!

Submitted by Blake Elliott be80@evansville.edu

Beginning in January 2019, the University of Evansville and Ivy Tech Community College will partner to offer a dual admission program, which will offer students a structured, guaranteed pathway for attaining both a two- and four-year degree.

Students in any major who meet all dual admission program admission standards are guaranteed acceptance to UE and will receive an $18,000 per year scholarship toward UE tuition. 

“We will provide a guaranteed transition from an Ivy Tech associate’s degree to a UE bachelor’s degree by providing one integrated curriculum plan right from the start,” said UE president Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz. 

Dual admission program students will begin by taking classes at Ivy Tech Community College and will have access to all the benefits offered to UE students from the very beginning of their college career. They will have access to on-campus housing and will have full use of the UE library, computer labs, and other academic spaces. They will also have access to advising, student affairs, financial aid, and career services prior to full admission. Additionally, dual admission program students may attend student activities such as sporting and cultural events at both institutions.

“We are pleased to partner with UE to offer a seamless transition for our students who desire to continue their education after attaining their associate degree,” said Ivy Tech chancellor Jonathan Weinzapfel. “Through this partnership we are creating a different pathway; a different option for students to be successful. It is also very beneficial that our students will have the opportunity to access all student spaces on campus, including housing, from the beginning of their collegiate career.”

“Students will reap the benefits of both institutions during the entirety of their college career,” said Pietruszkiewicz. “Not only will course credits seamlessly transfer, but by having the support from both institutions and access to UE services and experiences from the beginning, it will allow for an easy personal transition as well.”

In addition to the dual admission program, UE and Ivy Tech have many articulation agreements in place to allow for an easy transition between institutions. Credits from Ivy Tech programs including engineering, nursing, education, criminal justice, and supply chain management are already automatically accepted at the University of Evansville toward completion of a four-year degree.

To learn more or apply for the dual admission program, visit https://www.evansville.edu/dual-admission.

In order to process the payroll before the holiday break for the December 28th bi-weekly payroll, the Office of Fiscal Affairs/Payroll is asking all staff to enter their time on Web Advisor for the pay period December 9-22 by Friday, December 14. Supervisors are asked to approve by Monday, December 17.

If you have any questions, please contact Gloria Spencer at ext. 2159 or email gs55@evansville.edu.

Students, staff, faculty, and administrators are invited to play in the University Symphony Orchestra and String Ensemble. The University Symphony Orchestra meets on Monday at 5:30 p.m. and Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. The String Ensemble meets on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. in the Krannert Hall of Fine Arts. Join us!

E-mail Chun-Ming Chen, director of orchestral activities, at cc319@evansville.edu for more information.

The Student Health Center will be closed for Winter Break starting Saturday, December 15 through Sunday, January 13. The Student Health Center will resume normal business hours on Monday, January 14 at 8:00 a.m. We wish everyone a safe and healthy holiday season. If you have an emergency, call campus security at 812-488-2051 or dial 911. 

Submitted by Tara Ulrich tu19@evansville.edu

The Employee Health Clinic will remain open during Winter Break. The clinic will run on normal business hours with the following exceptions: closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, reduced hours on New Year’s Eve, and closed New Year’s Day. If you need assistance, please call Tri-State Community Clinics at 888-492-8722.

Submitted by Tara Ulrich tu19@evansville.edu

Rental books rented through the UE Bookstore are due back at the bookstore by Thursday, December 13 at 5:00 p.m. Please make sure you return your rentals on time to avoid late charges. Rental books should be returned to the Rental Return station at the bookstore to ensure they are properly checked in. Please bring your student ID as well. If you have any questions, please contact the UE Bookstore.

Submitted by Doug Gustwiller dg57@evansville.edu

Book Buyback at the UE Bookstore starts Friday, December 7 and runs through Thursday, December 13. The UE Bookstore freely quotes any book you might want to sell regardless of where purchased or if used on this campus or not. You'll get CASH on the spot. You will need to bring your student ID to sell books. We have a new vendor this buyback with more titles and better prices. You can sell books as many times as you want but bringing them early might get you more money if we're buying the book for the store. Also bring any and all components that came with your book and make sure you do not need the book for the spring term before selling them. If you have questions, please contact the UE Bookstore.

Submitted by Doug Gustwiller dg57@evansville.edu

Please note that the Dean of Students’ office will not grant official excused absences during finals except for extreme circumstances (i.e.: death of an immediate family member, emergency surgery, etc.). Students who feel they are unable to take a scheduled final exam should work directly with their professors to discuss other possible options.

Submitted by Carleen Barnes cb131@evansville.edu

Leadership Evansville has nominated Mandy Ford's STEM project at Joshua Academy in the Arts category for Celebration of Evansville March 14, at the Old National Events Plaza. The ceremony will begin promptly at 5:30 p.m. Mandy earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from UE in 2017 and is currently pursuing her M.S. Leadership degree. Her coursework has equipped her to be a servant leader as a Title I instructor at Joshua Academy.