The Department of Law, Politics, and Society mourns the loss of our colleague, Dr. Arthur Aarstad, emeritus professor of political science, who passed away last Friday at the age of 91. He taught for 37 years at the University of Evansville, starting in 1958 (when Dwight Eisenhower was president!) until his retirement in 1995. An award-winning teacher, he inspired and challenged whole generations of students in a variety of courses ranging across all the subfields of political science. Dr. Aarstad didn’t just teach about politics; he was actively engaged in his community as a longtime school board member. In 1970, he became the first UE faculty member to be elected to office when the voters decisively chose him to serve in an at-large position on the Vanderburgh County Council. Arthur Aarstad found his way to Evansville College after being born in Norway and raised in Brooklyn and serving in the Air Force, and we are all better off for him choosing to spend his academic career among us. As a tribute to the mark he left on this campus, we named the Outstanding Senior in Political Science award after him in a formal ceremony in 2017. We express our sincere condolences to his wife, Jonette, his two sons, and the rest of his family and friends as we remember fondly the legacy of this warm-hearted educator and scholar.

Two ChangeLab courses are partnering with WNIN to conduct research and analysis on Covid-19 in our region.

Read the article from Inside Indiana Business.

The CDC says a close contact is someone who was within six feet for at least 15 minutes, masked or unmasked, 48 hours prior to the onset of symptoms by the positive person.

Only those who meet the criteria for a “close contact” are required to quarantine. The contact tracer, after interviewing potential close contacts identified by the positive person, will determine if quarantine is necessary.

The first step if you think you have been exposed or have COVID-19 is to complete the self-reporting form at https://uesurvey.evansville.edu/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=9lL166m6#. When you complete this online form this will notify the Dean of Student and contact tracing process.

Take the online campus check-in health screening before each time you come to campus or if living in residence halls every day. You can find information about #CampusClear on the website at https://www.evansville.edu/coronavirus/campusclear.cfm.

If you are feeling ill and don't know what to do, please visit the Coronavirus section of the website at If you are sick.

Due to the increased risk of COVID-19 inherent in these activities, the University recommends that activities during which individuals might raise their voice (i.e., singing and chanting) should be performed outside with the following guidelines:

• Maintain social distance of a minimum of 6 feet with a recommendation of 8 feet.
• Wear masks or face coverings.
• Limit group size to a maximum of 40 people in accordance with our current event guidelines.

If an event must be moved inside due to inclement weather, the following guidelines must be observed:

• Maintain social distancing of a minimum of 10 feet.
• Wear masks or face coverings.
• Room occupancy is limited by the required 10 feet of social distancing guideline.
• Singing and chanting should only take place at the end of an event or service and should not last longer than 30 minutes.

Join SAB in celebrating Spirit Week with a banner competition! Your organization can get creative and design a Spirit Week banner. Banners will be hung off the Ridgway balcony for display beginning Monday, September 21. Banners must be white and the size of a twin sized bed sheet. Organizations must maintain social distancing guidelines while creating the banner and all persons participating must wear a mask. Please contact cb380 if your organization is interested or you have any questions.

Kick off the year right with the UE Venturing Crew at our annual canoe trip and cookout at Blue Grass Fishing and Wildlife Area this Sunday, September 20th! We will be canoeing, kayaking, swimming, playing games and eating lots of food! We'll leave campus ~9:30 and return ~2 in the afternoon.

The event is FREE! and includes food, gear, and transportation. All participants need to be a Venturing Crew member. That means you must complete a registration form and pay your annual dues ($25).

Sign up on UEngage or email hd94 for more information. Follow the UE Venturing Crew 365 Facebook page for updates and details.

If you have any Frisbees, footballs, etc… bring them!

Come and get all the details about this trip and everything else coming up this semester at our Open House on Tuesday night!

See you soon!
UE Venturing Crew 365

Earlier this summer, our 2020 Commencement was rescheduled from May 9 to September 19 in hopes of celebrating our graduates in-person at the Ford Center. However, due to ongoing health and safety guidelines at the local, state, and federal levels, we made the difficult decision to postpone Commencement until May 2021.

However, we still want to celebrate our Class of 2020! We invite our UE community, as well as our graduates’ friends and family members, to partake in a virtual celebration coming up next Friday, September 18. After 2PM, you can find a series of videos on the Commencement Corner webpage that recognize our graduates and their achievements. This includes the message to the graduating class, Outstanding Senior Award, keynote address, and more.

We also encourage you to visit the Commencement Corner for the announcement of our Eykamp Prize and Outstanding Teacher recipients. This announcement has been under wraps for several months, so we are excited to give congratulatory remarks to these individuals!

While the Commencement Corner will go live at 2PM, the webpage and series of videos will continue to be available for a later viewing at your convenience. 

Kick off the year right with the UE Venturing Crew at our annual canoe trip and cookout at Blue Grass Fishing and Wildlife Area this Sunday, September 20th! We will be canoeing, kayaking, swimming, playing games and eating lots of food! We'll leave campus ~9:30 and return ~2 in the afternoon.

The event is FREE! and includes food, gear, and transportation. All participants need to be a Venturing Crew member. That means you must complete a registration form and pay your annual dues ($25).

Sign up on UEngage or email hd94 for more information. Follow the UE Venturing Crew 365 Facebook page for updates and details.

If you have any Frisbees, footballs, etc… bring them!

Come and get all the details about this trip and everything else coming up this semester at our Open House on Tuesday night!

See you soon!
UE Venturing Crew 365

The Office of Counseling Services invites you to read the first UE Wellness Newsletter. This newsletter will be available in AceNotes the months of September, October and November in the Fall semester and February, March, and April in the Spring semester. It will feature brief articles on various wellness topics, as well as extras like a featured quote and app of the month, and sometimes even a fun recipe to try out. If you have ideas for article topics, please email Jennifer Hargus at jh693@evansville.edu.

Please note the clarification made on page four of the Time Entry Online instructions in WebAdvisor for non-exempt hourly staff and administrators who complete a timecard.

The UE TimeOnline system will automatically calculate the amount of overtime you are eligible for based on the hours worked that are entered. Therefore, enter your total hours worked per day and UE TimeOnline will calculate your overtime entitlement. Overtime will not be calculated within the same week that holiday, sick or vacation hours are entered, unless the employee works more than 40 hours during that week, per FSLA guidelines.

This week’s installment of the UET Salon Series, SCENOGRAPHY IN OPERA, was held on Wednesday, Sept. 16, and featured Jacob A. Climer ’02 and Chas Rader–Sheiber.

Jacob A. Climer ’02 is a costume and scenic designer for both theatre and opera based in New York City. He received his BFA from the University of Evansville in Design & Technology and his MFA from Carnegie Mellon University. Jacob has worked for renowned theatres and operas across the country, including Des Moines Metro Opera, Barrington Stage Company, and Asolo Repertory Theatre. He has also worked for Broadway and National Tours doing both costume and scenic design. Jacob is a member of United Scenic Artists 829.

Chas Rader–Shieber is a stage director with credits in both theatre and opera, based in New York City. He is known for his inventive and bold productions that have been called a “force to be reckoned with in the opera world.” Chas has worked for numerous opera and theatre companies around the world, including Des Moines Metro Opera, Glimmerglass Opera Festival, Pinchgut Opera in Sydney, Australia, and Hobart Baroque in Hobart, Tasmania. His work encompasses a broad range of pieces, but he specializes in Baroque opera.

This semester, UE Theatre students will have the opportunity to experience twelve workshops with professionals from the entertainment industry.

UE Theatre hosted another session of their 2020–21 Workshop Series on Sunday, Sept. 13, and featured Carla Bellisio’s WARDROBE REJUVENATION workshop. During this workshop, she taught students how to make visible mending repairs on threadbare garments and sashiko inspired embroidery that both helps strengthen and decorate embroiders.

Carla studied at the Royal School of Needlework in England, and then studied at the Japanese Embroidery Center in Atlanta, Ga. Carla’s professional goal is to explore ways of supporting sustainable fashion practices. She has developed this making and repair workshop to explore different techniques that she has used to care for and personalize her own clothes, which she now hopes to share with others to promote agency over their wardrobes.

To learn more about Carla Bellisio check out her website www.carlaesthetics.com.

The Office of Public Safety is reminding pedestrians to use caution when crossing Walnut St. between Rotherwood and Weinbach. Although the improvement project is not complete, vehicle traffic is allowed to travel through the construction zone. Pedestrians should never assume vehicles will stop to allow them to cross. You should always look both ways before crossing to ensure your safety.

The Office of Public Safety, in partnership with the Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, will host a Campus Community Listening Session on September 17th. The session will take place in Eykamp Hall (251-255) from 7:00 pm-8:00 pm. This listening session will be the building block on which better communications and improved Public Safety services will be built upon.

Attendees will be invited to share their thoughts on campus safety and how they feel the Office of Public Safety can meet the needs of the campus community, specifically the student population. This session will be hosted by Jason Cullum, Public Safety Chief, and Dr. Rob Shelby, Chief Diversity Officer.

In accordance with COVID-19 protocols, attendance will be limited to 50 people and mask will be required.

The University of Evansville College of Engineering and Computer Science has announced 2020-21 dates for the annual review and preparation course for those planning to take the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam.

All classes will be held Thursday evenings beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Koch Center for Engineering and Science on the UE campus or virtually through Zoom. Classes are divided into relevance per discipline. Fees are adjusted accordingly.

• Candidates for civil engineering will attend from October 1 - January 28.
• Candidates for mechanical engineering and other disciplines will attend from October 1 – January 14.
• Electrical and computer engineering candidates will attend October 29 - November 19.

Registration forms and payment must be returned by 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 30, 2020. Contact Kimberly Higgins at kh209@evansville.edu or at 812-488-2651 for more information on registration. Early registration is encouraged as space as limited.

Nursing students want to hear how you felt over this pandemic.

Please take our community project survey regarding mental health. It will only take a few minutes.

Mea Adams
ma368@evansville.edu

Student Emma Stevens’s brother, Ethan Stevens, has been working on paintings and clay for years, and he has an exhibit he put together. As they are both beloved members of the UE community and she is a tutor for the Writing Center, which will open soon, I am happy to announce he will have a showing of his work outside the Writing Center where Academic Advising used to be housed.

Some pieces will be available for purchase and the art will be on display for several weeks; however, Thursday, September 10th, you can come meet the artist himself at 4 PM. He will be there for at least an hour. This will be a VERY safe event: the doors will be opened for maximum air flow, the spacing will be limited, there will be hand sanitizer, and masks are required. However, it is an opportunity to support a member of our extended UE family who is spending this challenging time by creating art, and a way to remember what’s so special about UE and a liberal arts community— the community.

Ethan is willing to sign any art you purchase, and for the entirety of the exhibit (throughout the next several weeks) I hope that people will stop by and take pictures with his art: we’ll be using the hashtag “#ethansmileysart” because if this exhibit doesn’t make you smile, I don’t know what will. Come see our pop-up museum and meet the artist! We’re excited to see you and to celebrate creativity and beauty.

The University of Evansville has been named the #4 Best College in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges Rankings for 2021. UE climbed two spots on the list from the previous year and has appeared in the top 10 for over a decade. 

The Best Colleges Rankings is published annually by U.S. News & World Report and recognizes public and private higher education institutions across the nation. The list is compiled by analyzing college data, including student retention, graduation rates, class sizes, acceptance rates, and more.

“The recognition we have received is a true testament to the quality of education at UE and a tribute to our outstanding and dedicated faculty,” said president Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz. “We are committed to providing a transformative higher education experience and a foundation that prepares each student for a changing world.” 

The complete ranking of the Best Colleges in the Midwest can be found at usnews.com/colleges. In the comprehensive report, UE was also recognized for its business programs, engineering programs, school value, veteran support, and international student representation.

The Schroeder School of Business was ranked among the overall best business undergraduate programs in the country. The Business School was ranked #8 among small private universities. The rankings were based solely on the judgments of deans and senior faculty members at peer institutions.

The College of Engineering and Computer Science at UE was also recognized for its quality, as it was named among the top 200 undergraduate engineering programs. The Engineering program was ranked #21 among small private universities. UE offers specialties in civil, computer, electric, and mechanical engineering.

UE was also ranked the #8 Best Value School in the Midwest. To determine which colleges and universities offer the best value for students, U.S. News & World Report factored academic quality and cost after accounting for total expenses and financial aid.

Climbing three spots from last year’s report, the University was also recognized as the #2 Best College for Veterans in the Midwest. UE is not only an affordable option for veterans but also provides a variety of supportive services, including academic advising, tutoring, and career development.

UE is committed to international representation on campus, as it provides personal and professional benefits. Once again, the University was named a Top Midwest School for International Students. For the 2019-20 academic year, 11 percent of the student population was composed of international students.

“The University’s rise up the national rankings, especially in the category of academic reputation, confirms what our students have always known: the University of Evansville is deeply committed to excellence in all aspects of education,” said Michael Austin, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost.