After a national search, Rachel Carpenter has been selected as the new vice president for student affairs and dean of students at the University of Evansville. She will begin her duties with an anticipated start date of June 1, 2022.

In her new role, Carpenter will serve the UE student body and help create a safe, welcoming, and supportive campus community. She will not only work one-on-one with students but also student organizations across campus.

“As someone who grew up in the military, I have rarely experienced the feeling of returning home," said Carpenter. “I am very excited to return to the UE campus, a place I once called home for several years, and work alongside talented faculty and staff. Together, I know we will move the University forward and prepare students to live meaningful lives in a changing world.”

Carpenter brings nearly two decades of experience in student affairs. Currently, she is the interim university dean for students at Pace University, which has two campuses in Pleasantville and New York City, New York. Prior to serving in this role, she was interim associate vice president for student affairs and dean for students, interim dean, and director of the Center for Student Development. While at Pace, she has been working toward her Doctor of Professional Studies in business and is expected to graduate this month.

Dean Carpenter will be familiar with our campus when she joins UE, as she is both an alumna and former administrator. In 2003, she graduated from UE with a Bachelor of Arts in international studies. Later, she earned her Master of Science in public service administration in 2009. She served in various roles at the University from 2003-10, including residential coordinator, dean of students at Harlaxton College, assistant dean of students, and director of the Center for Student Engagement. 

Carpenter will succeed Dean Clayton, who has been an exemplary leader for thousands of students who are making a difference in the world. Clayton is retiring in February 2022 after 32 years of service to the University. Until Carpenter’s arrival, Dr. Rob Shelby, chief diversity officer, will be the interim vice president for student affairs. Michael Tessier, assistant vice president of student affairs and director of residence life, will serve as the interim dean of students. 

The Coronavirus Task Force thanks the campus community for creating a successful fall semester with very few COVID-19 cases on our campus. Looking ahead at the Spring 2022 semester, UE will continue with the same requirements for students and employees that were in place this fall.

A negative COVID-19 test (either rapid or PCR) will be required for all full and part-time students and employees (including adjunct instructors) who have reason to be on the UE or Stone Center for Health Sciences campuses. Those who submit a negative COVID-19 test will be required to participate in the Random COVID-19 Testing program throughout the semester.

If you submitted proof of full vaccination for the fall semester, you are not required to submit a negative test, participate in the Random COVID-19 Testing Program, or re-upload your documentation.

Those who became fully vaccinated after the fall semester began will need to upload their documentation. Full vaccination is considered two doses of Pfizer or Moderna or one dose of Johnson & Johnson, plus a 14-day waiting period.

Students and faculty participating in study abroad programs, including Harlaxton College, will be provided specific information from the Study Abroad Office regarding testing and vaccine requirements for spring travel.

Please click on the links below for important information specific to requirements, submitting documents, and important deadlines: 

Required Testing for Students

Required Testing for Employees

Free off-site paper shredding by Piranha Mobile Shredding will return to campus once again December 9 (Reading Study Day) from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00p.m. All UE students, faculty, staff, and alumni can take advantage of this free service by bringing paper to the Piranha truck in Koch Center for Engineering and Science parking lot. Paper will be shredded off-site. We will place bins along the parking lot to allow each person to empty their own material for a no contact approach.

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-pound paper limit per visit (number of visits is not limited).

The UE Music Conservatory will host the Holiday Pops concert on Tuesday, December 7. The event will be held at Old National Events Plaza beginning at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free, and the public is invited to enjoy the sounds of the season.

Holiday Pops will feature music from the UE Symphony Orchestra, University Choir and Choral Society, and Wind Ensemble. Musical selections will include "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "Christmas at the Movies," "Christmas and Sousa Forever," and more. Holiday Pops is made possible by the George L. Mesker Music Trust, Anna Bosse Trust, and Raymond B. Preston Family Foundation.

Winter on Walnut is coming up this Friday, December 3! Make plans to join us from 5-9PM on Walnut Street for lots of food, festivities, and fun! Activities on the street will includes holiday-themed food and treats, marshmallow roasting, horse-drawn carriage rides (on the oval lot), a Christmas tree farm, and giveaways.

Students: You can attend for free and don't need to register - just show up! You may use a meal swipe from 5-7PM for a dinner of chili, hot cider, and dessert!

Non-students (employees, alumni, families): the cost is $5 per person or $30 per family (no limit on family size), and it provides a wristband that covers crafts for kids, s'mores, and carriage rides. Non-students register here.

Here's a rundown of special events. The events at 6:30PM and 7:00PM are free and open to the public!! The event at 10:00PM is for students only. No registration or payment needed.

• At 6:30PM, we will light the campus Christmas tree outside Graves Hall.
• At 7:00PM, join us in Neu Chapel for the Candlelight Vespers service (seating is limited for this). The service will feature the UE Music Conservatory. Masks will be required while indoors. You may also live stream the service on YouTube.
• At 10PM, students can join us for an "after-party" in Eykamp Hall for bingo! (No cost to attend) 

The UE Bookstore will also be open during Winter on Walnut from 5-9PM! Stop by and purchase merchandise or Christmas gifts and get 10% off during the event. They are also having a Christmas Sweater contest on their Facebook page, and prizes will be awarded! 

Let's kick off the holiday season together! We hope to see you there.

A special thanks to the following organizations for making this marvelous event possible:

• Student Activites Board
• Resident Students Association
• Office of Religious Life
• UE Music Conservatory
• Office of Alumni and Engagement
• Chartwells

This is a busy week for the University of Evansville Music Conservatory. On Tuesday, November 30, the UE Jazz Ensemble will be joined by internationally acclaimed guest jazz trumpeter Graham Breedlove in a program featuring his compositions. This concert is at 7:30 p.m. in Eykamp Hall, Ridgway University Center. Earlier that same day, Mr. Breedlove will present an improvisation clinic at 12:00 PM in Fine Arts Room 110. Everyone is welcome to attend.

On Thursday, December 2, the UE Community Band and Jazz Sextet will present their fall concert at 7:30 p.m. in Eykamp Hall. The program will feature a variety of works for jazz ensemble and concert band. As a special feature, the Jazz Sextet will perform two compositions by UE Music Education Major, Luke Robertson ’24.

On Friday, December 3 the UE University Choir will collaborate with the Office of Religious Life for the annual Candlelight Vespers at 7:00 p.m. in Neu Chapel. Vespers is part of UE’s “Winter on Walnut” festivities running from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on December 3. All are welcome.

Finally, be sure to mark your calendars for the Holiday Pops concert, Tuesday, December 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Old National Events Plaza.

All events are free and open to the public. Masks are required for all attendees.

Saturday, December 11th at 2:30 pm & Sunday, December 12th at 2:30pm
Twelve directors will be presenting over twenty-one short plays about the climate crisis outside at various locations on UE Campus.

Happy holidays from UE Theatre! As a holiday treat for UE employees, $10 tickets are available for the final weekend of the “Welcome Back to Shanklin Theatre” fall line-up.

Join us for one (or both) productions of THREE SISTERS, by Anton Chekhov, in a new version by Sarah Ruhl, based off a literal translation by Elise Thoron with Natasha Paramonova and Kristin Johnsen-Neshati, and GONE MISSING, created by The Civilians, written by Steven Cosson, from interviews by the company, with music and lyrics by Michael Friedman. THREE SISTERS plays at 7:30 p.m. on Thurs., Dec. 2, and at 2:00 p.m. on Sun., Dec. 5, and GONE MISSING plays at 7:30 p.m. on Fri., Dec. 3, and Sat., Dec. 4, in Shanklin Theatre.

The safety of students and patrons is of top priority to UE Theatre. The program boasts a 100% vaccination rate against COVID-19 among the faculty and students. In addition to compliance with the University of Evansville’s Coronavirus Task Force guidelines, UE Theatre continues regular weekly COVID-19 testing of students involved with productions in order to maintain a healthy, safe environment for the coalition of theatre artists working on campus.

In following industry standards, as established by the Broadway League, all audience members must show proof of COVID–19 vaccination or a negative test result taken within 72-hours of the date on their ticket. Upon arrival at Shanklin Theatre, proof of vaccination/negative test result and an ID will be checked before each performance. In compliance with professional industry standards, all audience members must remain masked when indoors on campus. Additionally, Shanklin Theatre will be seated at no more than 50% capacity.

UE employees may receive their holiday ticket by calling the ticket office at 812.488.2031, Monday through Friday, from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m, or by coming to the Shanklin Theatre Ticket Office in Hyde Hall. UE students may obtain one free rush ticket starting at 12:00 p.m. on the day of the performance they wish to attend.

Are you a new employee in need of a headshot, or a current employee that still needs one? We will be offering headshots from 1:30-2:00PM on Monday, December 6. These will be walk-up style, so stop by anytime between then. If you plan to attend, please email a heads-up to Julie Bryant, university relations coordinator, at jb855@evansville.edu.

Headshots will be taken outdoors at the front, southwest corner of the oval. The photographer will be set up with a light near the green bench on the brick sidewalk.

The U.S. 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 website at https://www.evansville.edu/student-financial-services/student-consumer-information.cfm.

Questions may be directed to the Office of Student Financial Services at 800-424-8634, 812-488-2364, or studentfinancialservices@evansville.edu. A paper copy of this information is available upon request.

Information included on the Consumer Information page:

• 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 – Student 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 Credit Balance Refund Policy
• 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
• Grievance and Complaint Procedures
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
• Missing Person Protocol
• Net Price Calculator
• Program Closure Policy
• 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
• Student Loan Forgiveness, Cancellation, and Discharge
• 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

Please note that Walnut Street will be closing at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, December 3. If you are expecting deliveries or other traffic, provide alternative instructions for vendors and guests.

To accommodate the horse and carriage for Winter on Walnut, the Front Oval will be blocked off Thursday evening and closed for parking on Friday, December 3. All cars should be cleared out by Thursday.

Purple Patrol will continue into the Spring 2022 semester once we return from break, and we need volunteers! The first week of Purple Patrol will be Friday, January 14, marking the first week of classes.

Sign up on behalf of your team or coworkers here. Please sign up for one slot only so everyone has a chance to participate. Don't wait, as spots will fill up quickly!

When it’s your week to help, you will receive an email in advance with basic instructions. Purple goodies will be waiting for you on Friday morning in the Office of Marketing and Publications (top floor of the Schroeder Family School of Business Administration Building). There is no specific time or place to hand out these items; the only requirement is that the recipients are wearing purple!

If you have any questions about the sign-up or Purple Patrol, please contact Julie Bryant, university relations coordinator, at jb855.

Students can adjust meal plans for the Spring semester until Friday, January 14, 2022 at 5:00 p.m.

Adjust your meal plan online.

It's not too late to register for a Winter Intersession course. Classes are held December 17, 2021, through January 7, 2022. Students may take one course.

For registration, payment deadlines, and additional information visit https://www.evansville.edu/registrar/winterSessions.cfm.

Winter Intersession Course List

The first trip to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship started off as an outstanding success for the University of Evansville volleyball team, who defeated Sam Houston by a 3-0 final on the campus of Chicago State University.

With the victory, the Purple Aces clinched win #20 of the season, the first such campaign since 1988 and the sixth time UE has done so in program history.  Evansville advances to Friday’s second round, which will begin at 7 p.m. CT against the winner of tonight’s Bradley/Chicago State match.

“Our team played great tonight.  Our message throughout the whole week was that we had to go back to our game; we were focusing too much on our opponents,” Aces head coach Fernando Morales said.  “Clinching a 20-win season is a great step towards our long-term goals.  We look forward to making a run in the NIVC.”

MVC Freshman of the Year Giulia Cardona led the way with 21 kills while recording 9 digs and 3 aces.  An efficient hitting effort saw her finish at .405.  Alondra Vazquez earned 18 kills and 9 digs while Melanie Feliciano posted 7 kills and 9 digs.  Taya Haffner totaled 42 assists and 8 digs while Blakeley Freeman had the top tally for UE with 13 digs.  Sam Houston was led by Catherine Krieger’s 12-kill performance.

Set 1 – UE 25, Sam Houston 21
Alondra Vazquez recorded five kills in the opening set to help the Aces grab the early advantage.  Kills by Giulia Cardona and Melanie Feliciano put UE on top by a 3-1 score to open before Sam Houston came back to tie the set at 8-8.  A 6-4 stretch by the Bearkats gave them their first lead at 14-12.  Consecutive aces by Cardona put the lead right back in the Aces hands at 15-14 before Sam Houston came back to tie it up at 18-18.  A pivotal stretch by Evansville saw them take a 24-19 lead before winning by a 25-21 final.

Set 2 – UE 25, Sam Houston 21
Once again it was Evansville with the strong start, posting four of the first five points with Cardona and Vazquez adding two kills apiece.  The Bearkats got within a pair at 9-7 before UE extended its lead to a high mark of seven points.  A 4-0 spurt got things started with Vazuqez adding three more kills before an ace from Taya Haffner made it a 16-9 game.  Sam Houston chipped away at the UE lead, cutting the gap to a pair at 19-17, but Evansville countered and it was two more kills from Vazquez that finished off another 25-21 UE win.

Set 3 – UE 25, Sam Houston 21
For the third game in a row, UE had the upper hand in the early going.  Kate Tsironis along with Cardona picked up two kills each in a 6-2 run to open the set.  In a set that mirrored the first two frames, Sam Houston fought back in the next segment, embarking on a 3-0 run to knot the game at 12-12.  In this instance, they were unable to get over the hump to take a lead.  Evansville responded with four in a row in a run that would see them score seven out of eight tallies to go up 19-13.  Cardona got it started with a kill before Vazquez capped it off with one of her own.  The Bearkats never relented and made a final rally to cut the gap to 21-20.  It was Vazquez who had the point to get her squad back on track before an ace by Laura Ruiz capped off the third 25-21 decision of the night.

On Thursday, the NCAA released Graduation Success Rate (GSR) data and the top score in the Missouri Valley Conference belonged to the University of Evansville.  This marks the fourth year in a row that UE has led or tied for the top conference score.

With a score of 97, the Purple Aces paced the MVC with two schools finishing just behind with tallies of 96.  The NCAA GSR report gives graduation information for students and student-athletes who entered college in 2014, the most recent class for which the required six years of information is available. It also breaks down the GSR by sport, using a four-year class average (2011-2014) called a cohort rate to provide a big enough sample.

“This recognition is a testament to the coaches and student-athletes at the University of Evansville,” UE Director of Athletics Mark Spencer said.  “As a department, we are committed to providing a student-athlete experience that is second to none and the scores that our department has achieved are a reflection of that commitment.”

Beginning in Spring 2020, a portion of Division I revenue was distributed to member schools based on the academic achievement of student-athletes. The model allows schools with higher graduation rates and academic success to qualify for more funds.

Evansville had multiple sports finish with perfect scores of 100.  Those programs included men’s basketball, men’s golf, men’s cross country and track and field, women’s golf, softball, women’s soccer, women’s swimming and diving, women’s cross country and track and field along with volleyball.

“We are quite proud of this achievement sitting atop the MVC for a fourth consecutive year,” UE Senior Associate AD for Internal Operations Sarah Solinsky exclaimed.  “This is accomplished with the commitment of our coaches recruiting high quality student-athletes and our University's team effort in supporting our student-athletes in their pursuit of academic excellence.”

THE CRITERIA
A school earns an academic unit by meeting any ONE of the three standards.
• Graduation Success Rate for most recently available year is equal to or greater than 90 percent. The average of single-year rates for all teams is used.
• Difference between student-athlete and student body percentages in the most recently published Federal Graduation Rate is equal to or greater than 13 percentage points.
• Academic Progress Rate for previous year is equal to or greater than 985. The average of single-year scores for all teams is used to determine eligibility for this standard.

NCAA GSR INFORMATION
All colleges and universities are required by NCAA legislation and federal law (the Student Right-to-Know act from 1990) to report student graduation rates, and those institutions offering athletics aid are required to report for their student-athletes as well. The NCAA acquires student-athlete graduation rate data from the Department of Education's Integrated Post-Secondary Data System Graduation Rate Survey (IPEDS-GRS).

The student-athlete graduation rate calculated directly based on IPEDS-GRS (which is the methodology the U.S. Department of Education requires) is the proportion of first-year, full-time student-athletes who entered a school on athletics aid and graduated from that institution within six years. This federal rate does not account for students who transfer from their original institution and graduate elsewhere; they are considered non-graduates at both the college they left and the one from which they eventually graduate. 

The NCAA GSR differs from the federal calculation in two important ways. First, the GSR holds colleges accountable for those student-athletes who transfer into their school. Second, the GSR does not penalize colleges whose student-athletes transfer in good academic standing.  Essentially, those student-athletes are moved into another college's cohort.

Join us in helping Local Children experience the Holiday’s and Magic of Christmas.

UE Student-Athletes will be partnering with Toys-For-Tots, with two opportunities for collections of New, Un-Wrapped toys for all ages.

These dates are the December 4th Men’s Basketball Game and the December 11th Women’s Basketball Game.

Every donation will receive an Aces goodie bag for your help and generosity.  We look forward to all the great donations and GO ACES!

University of Evansville alumna Abigail Griebelbauer recently published a children's book titled D is for Darcy Not Dyslexia. Griebelbauer collaborated with Cecila Edwards, the illustrator, whom she met while studying abroad at Harlaxton College in the Fall of 2014. Although Edwards was from Salem University, the two became close friends while overseas and remained so even after returning home. A copy of the book was mailed to Harlaxton College, and it will remain there in the library!

When the pandemic hit in 2020, Griebelbauer was inspired to write her book, and she instantly asked Edwards to illustrate it. Her inspiration also came from the elementary education classrooms she visited in Grantham. Having changed her major only weeks before attending Harlaxton in 2014, the first class she ever taught was in the manor when a local classroom came to visit for a field trip. 

D is for Dyslexia published in October 2020, and Griebelbauer hopes to write a second book about ADHD. For more information about the book, visit www.thepassagepress.com.