This year, the July 4th holiday is on a Saturday. The University will be closed on Friday, July 3 and Monday, July 6. Enjoy the holiday weekend!

Contact:
Holly Smith
hh98@evansville.edu
812-480-5375

Sign up today to participate in the Summer Healthy Behavior Challenge. Those who successfully complete this challenge will earn $150.00 into their HSA account. Only those enrolled in the UE HSA Medical Plan can earn the credit, but all are welcome to participate! The challenge begins June 22nd and ends August 16. This challenge consists of tracking your daily water intake and minutes of exercise. To sign up, please email Ashley Chipps at ac375@evansville.edu. Due to COVID-19, all challenge logs will be emailed to participants and will need to be returned through email as well. 

Contact:
Ashley Chipps
ac375@evansville.edu
812-306-8885
Employee Health Clinic

 No matter where you are in life - just getting started or planning for retirement - a session with Tim Stout can help you create a plan for your goals. And it's at no additional cost as part of your retirement plan. You'll get answers to these questions and more:

• Am I invested in the right mix of investments to help meet my goals?
• Am I saving enough to create a retirement income I need?
• How do I take income from my retirement account once I stop working?

Register for one of these virtual sessions at www.TIAA.org/schedulenow.

• Wednesday, June 24, 2020 - 9am - 4pm
• Thursday, June 25, 2020 - 9am - 4pm

The Center for the Advancement of Learning is offering 10 free online courses. Must register by June 30th.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, employment roles are affected and people in the community are looking for online educational options to assist their career opportunities. UE and the Center for the Advancement of Learning are prepared to step in to provide this support. Please feel free to share this opportunity with friends, family, and businesses affected by the pandemic.

Visit the website to learn more about these courses,or contact Cindy Felts at 812-488-1046. 

The Class of 2020 graduates of the Physician Assistant Program have achieved a first-time pass rate of 100 percent on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE). This is the second consecutive year MPAS graduates have achieved this level of excellence.

“We are very proud of the hard work and commitment our students have exhibited, including this great achievement,” said Dr. Mike Roscoe, program chair and director. “Our graduates will make excellent medical providers and continue to represent UE and this program admirably.”

In 2019, the program’s first graduating class of 20 students achieved a 100 percent first-time PANCE pass rate. With the second cohort also achieving the same pass rate, UE is confident that current and incoming students will continue the trend. “Learning about the pass rates of our graduates was very exciting, because it is difficult to achieve such a rating,” said Roscoe. “To do this with new faculty and curriculum in the initial years of the program is even more impressive.” The national first-time PANCE pass rate is 93 percent.

The application period for the fifth cohort of students is open until August 1. Virtual interviews will be conducted in September to fill the 40 seats, and in-person classes are slated to begin January 2021. Roscoe reports that the application process has become more competitive as the program has seen exponential growth in applications since 2016. Interested individuals may apply for the program through graduate admission, or they may pursue the Baccalaureate to Physician Assistant pathway, in which students earn both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees through UE.

Physician assistants, or PAs, are nationally certified and state-licensed health care professionals who provide direct patient care across a broad range of medical services. PAs work in a wide variety of health care settings and specialties. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of PAs is projected to grow 31 percent from 2018 to 2028, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. In 2019, the profession provided a median salary of $112,260. 

On May 1, the University distributed the Limited Reopening Campus Plan. Due to further guidance from the State of Indiana and the Governor’s Roadmap to Reopen Indiana, the University then enhanced to our Stage 2 reopening plan on May 11. We are now moving into Stage 3 and it will be effective as of June 22. The complete plan is publicly available on our website. The main differences between Stage 2 and Stage 3 are as follows:

• The campus will be open for prospective student visits with safety guidelines in place
• Athletics will begin voluntary workouts with limited access and implement social distancing guidelines
• Carson Center will open athletic ticket sales and include safety measures and protection for employees and visitors

In addition to our staged approach, our plan will be to announce next week the date classes will resume for Fall 2020. The Coronavirus Task Force continues to work on additional guidelines for our entire campus on how we will reopen our campus in the most safe and effective manner. 

Contact:

Holly Smith
hh98@evansville.edu
8124805375

An ancient winery excavated by the Jezreel Expedition was recently featured in the Jerusalem Post and on Wine Spectator's website. An article about this discovery, which was excavated by UE students as part of this UE - University of Haifa co-sponsored project, was also recently published by co-directors Jennie Ebeling (UE) and Norma Franklin (U Haifa) and staff members Philippe Guillaume (U Bern, Switzerland) and Deborah Appler (Moravian Theological Seminary) in the Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies.

Contact:
Jennie Ebeling
je55@evansville.edu
812-488-1019
Archaeology and Art History

The University of Evansville has been ranked among the top 100 best colleges for veterans by College Consensus. The complete list of schools was published to the organization's website in April.

To establish the order of ranking, College Consensus used a method that combined ratings from internationally recognized publishers (publisher rating) as well as student reviews (student review rating). Both ratings were averaged to form a complete list of 100 public and private college institutions across the nation. To qualify for the report, a college had to be a Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges member, have a recognized student veteran organization, be a Yellow Ribbon Program participant, employ dedicated support contact for veterans, and offer credit for military training.

"Our student veterans are a valuable asset to our campus culture," said Dr. Tracey Y. Folden, assistant vice president for academic affairs. "Their unique work as prior Servicemembers enriches the academic experience for all UE students."

UE offers a variety of services to support incoming and current students, including academic advising, tutoring, and career development. The student club, UE VETS (Veterans Education Transition Support), serves students, families, and active service members across the globe as they transition to college life, coordinating events and activities to provide additional support. For more information about services for veterans, visit evansville.edu/veteransaffairs.

"UE has been invaluable with the resources it provides for students with military backgrounds," said Jordan Wright, a disabled veteran and Class of 2023 student majoring in finance. "The University really makes every effort to set us up for success."

In 2019, UE was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the fifth best college for veterans in the Midwest. The University has also been previously recognized by U.S. Veterans Magazine and Military Times as a top college for veterans.

College Consensus is an online organization that highlights the best college programs and degrees offered in traditional and online formats. Studies recognize both public and private institutions at the undergraduate and graduate levels. You can read the complete report about the best colleges for veterans on their website.

The University of Evansville has been ranked among the top 50 best affordable colleges for music therapy degree programs. The ranking comes from Affordable Schools and was published on the organization's website in January.

The compilation and ranking of schools was created by using the National Center for Education Statistics' College Navigator database. Affordable Schools considered programs based on tuition costs, student-to-faculty ratio, and educational outcomes. Points were assigned for each of the categories to build the final list of 50 schools from across the nation.

"This recognition for our music therapy program demonstrates the University's commitment to both academic excellence and affordability," said Kenneth Steinsultz, co-chair of the Department of Music at UE. "This program provides great value to students, as they can experience small class sizes, hands-on learning, and a high-quality education, all while maintaining affordability."

The Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy degree at the University of Evansville trains students to use music therapy methodology and interventions to address an individual's physical, emotional, spiritual, and cognitive needs. This profession is a growing field in the healthcare industry that has been proven to help patients regain speech, improve motor function, develop communication capabilities, and more.

Students in UE's music therapy program will prepare for a career through behavioral and music courses, as well as music therapy-specific classes that include Psychology of Music and Introduction to Improvisational Methods. Before graduating, students will complete a six-month internship to apply classroom knowledge to real-life scenarios. A music therapy and music education double major is also available, and this route is for students interested in combining their skills and talents to be a therapist and teacher. Visit evansville.edu/majors/music to learn more.

"Becoming a music therapist is a transformative experience for students," said Demian Kogutek, director of music therapy at UE. "Music therapy majors not only learn about the music therapy process, but also about the clients with whom we work and the overall importance of music in the community."

Affordable Schools is an online resource guide that highlights the best, high quality, affordable online and traditional colleges and degree programs. As a leading higher education resource, Affordable Schools provides profiles of a large number of public and private institutions with solid academic reputations. You can read the full article about music therapy programs online.