TrailBlazer - Department of University Communications - The University of Texas at Arlington


For Students of The University of Texas at Arlington	Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Holding the line: Tuition should remain unchanged for 2012-13, according to President James D. Spaniolo's suggestion to the Tuition Review Committee.

No tuition increase proposed for 2012-13

UT Arlington plans to hold the line on tuition and fees and student room and board rates next year—the first time in more than a decade that the University has announced that it will not seek such increases.

President James D. Spaniolo delivered his proposal to the student-led Tuition Review Committee last week. The committee reconvenes Tuesday, Nov. 29, to consider endorsing the plan. UT Arlington will forward the tuition recommendation to The University of Texas System Board of Regents in December.

“As state funding for UT Arlington has declined—and as state and federal support for financial aid programs shrinks—students and their families have been forced to shoulder more of the financial responsibility for attending college through increased tuition,” President Spaniolo said in a message to the UT Arlington community. “We are committed to keeping UT Arlington as affordable as possible while continuing to build a first-rate university.”

Jennifer Fox, president of the UT Arlington Student Congress, serves as chair of the Tuition Review Committee and described student reaction to the tuition proposal as positive.

“Our students are impressed that the administration is concerned about the affordability of their education,” Fox says. “But they want to ensure that the quality of their education is maintained, and they don’t want reductions in student services.”

Room and board averages $7,554 for the 2011-2012 academic year, though rates vary by residence hall or apartment property.

Expect invitations next week to participate in Student Feedback Surveys

Invitations to fill out Student Feedback Surveys will be sent to student MyMav email accounts starting Saturday, Nov. 26. Your voice is essential in UT Arlington's ongoing mission to bring the best possible academic experience to students.

You will be emailed separate invitations for every course you are enrolled in. All surveys must be completed during the time frame specified in the invitation emails.

Surveys are brief and are anonymous. Professors will not receive survey results until after final grades have been posted.

Homeless: Aaron Dickinson endured the elements during last year's One Night Without A Home.

One Night Without A Home educates about homelessness on Central Library mall

Experience life with only a cardboard box for shelter in the annual One Night Without A Home event, which starts at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, on the Central Library mall.

Students will camp outside in cardboard boxes and participate in discussions about homelessness. The evening includes guest speakers from Arlington Life Shelter, a vigil walk, and more.

For more details, contact the UTA Volunteers at utavolunteers@uta.edu or 817-272-2963.

Ben and Jerry chill out Thursday night; first 1,000 receive free ice cream

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, founders of Ben and Jerry's Homemade, Inc., discuss "Entrepreneurial Spirit, Social Responsibility, and Radical Business Philosophy" as part of the Maverick Speakers Series at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, in Texas Hall.

Cohen and Greenfield are the men behind one of the most talked about and least conventional success stories in American business. They built a storefront venture into a $300 million ice cream empire by harnessing the power of social responsibility and creative management.

The first 1,000 attendees receive free ice cream. A question-and-answer session follows the presentation.

Free general admission tickets to this event are sold out. A few $25 Preferred Package seats are still available at utatickets.com.

Guests without tickets will be seated as space permits. Arrive at Texas Hall by 6:30 p.m. and check in at the Guest Relations window.

For more information, see Maverick Speakers Series.

GIS Day directs researchers to information

See geographic information systems research in action at GIS Day 2011 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, in the sixth floor parlor of the Central Library.

GIS Day is a global event to educate millions of people about the variety of GIS uses.

Andrew Milson, professor of curriculum and instruction and geography, will speak noon-1 p.m. on using GIS in secondary education. See examples of spatial analysis and maps, and enjoy prizes, food, and a giant GIS Day cake 1-2:15 p.m.

Participate in an ArchGIS hands-on workshop at 2:30 p.m., or try your hand at geocaching at 4 p.m. on the Central Library mall.

Wacky contest

Silly attire and zany games filled Saturday's Wacky-lympics at the Maverick Activities Center. The wackiness was a fundraiser for The Big Event, a day of community service each spring sponsored by UTA Volunteers. See more photos.

Vote today in student elections

Cast your ballot in the student elections for Homecoming king and queen, UTA Ambassadors, and Student Congress senators.

Vote 9 a.m.-6 p.m. today, Tuesday, Nov. 15, in the Palo Duro Lounge of the E.H. Hereford University Center and at the Maverick Activities Center.

Share your input on Block Party

The Departments of Residence Life and University Events are seeking input from students regarding activities for this year's Block Party.

The Block Party is an outdoor music festival with activities, games, and food traditionally held for the entire campus in the spring.

Share your Block Party ideas online.

Explore travel/study options during International Education Week

Discover the benefits of international education and exchange during International Education Week Nov. 14-18.

Established by the U.S. departments of State and Education, the week encourages the advancement of programs that prepare American students to live and work in an international community.

View photos taken by UT Arlington study abroad students and vote for your favorites all week in the University Center Gallery in the E.H. Hereford University Center.

Examine how you can serve the world by visiting the Peace Corps information table 10-2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, in the University Center.

Visit with international students and faculty and enjoy free chai, coffee, tea, and cultural snacks 4-5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, in the Palo Duro Lounge of the University Center.

Learn more about study abroad opportunities on the Office of International Education website.

For more information, contact Ariella Chi, international programs coordinator, at 817-272-2355 or ariella@uta.edu.

Extreme Challenge

Duy Nguyen, left, undeclared sophomore, wrestles with Raul Guajardo, biology sophomore, in the Most Awsome Extreme Challenge, part of Asian Heritage Month, sponsored by Multicultural Affairs. Sumo wrestling, complete with body suits, was one of several crazy competitions Thursday in the Bluebonnet Ballroom of the E.H. Hereford University Center.

College Park Center has gone social

College Park Center now has a Facebook page and Twitter feed. Between now and the spring opening of the center, these social media tools will feature information about opening events, construction updates, and other tidbits to help build excitement.

Become a Maverick Orientation leader

Are you a student with great communication skills and a passion for UT Arlington? New Maverick Orientation is accepting applications for the 2012 Maverick Orientation Leader positions.

Maverick Orientation Leaders are the first to welcome new students and parents during the summer orientation program in June, July, and August. They develop valuable leadership skills, including public speaking, problem solving, and conflict management.

Applicants must be full-time undergraduate students, have at least a 2.5 GPA, and be in good standing with the University. Go to uta.edu/orientation for applications and information.

Mindful Moments meets once before Thanksgiving holiday

Take a break with Mindful Moments, which will meet Nov. 16, but will not meet Nov. 23. Free. 12:15-12:45 p.m., Wednesdays, Room 236, Business Building. Health Services, Marie Bannister, 817-272-2771.

Be healthy this week with information and action

Three events hosted by Health Services this week encourage healthy behavior and appreciation of nurse practitioners.

Stop by and meet the nurse practitioners from Health Services on Nurse Practitioners Day 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, in the Palo Duro Lounge of the E.H. Hereford University Center. Educational information and snacks will be provided.

Learn tips to quit smoking and the latest tobacco facts at the Great American Smoke Out 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, also in the Palo Duro Lounge. Turkey sandwiches will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Take part in the free dental oral screenings, massages, games, and more.

A Mini Relay for Life runs 2-3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18, starting at the Health Services Center. Design your own personal luminary in honor of survivors or lost loved ones for a vigil following the walk. Sign up your team by Wednesday, Nov. 16, by emailing Donielle Smith at dnsmith@uta.edu or Latoya Oduniyi at latoya.oduniyi@uta.edu.

For more information, contact Odunyi in Health Services at 817-272-2771.

Perfect fit

Peggy McDonald, nursing junior, shows off her new UT Arlington shirt at MavSwap, a tradition where students can exchange T-shirts from another school for Maverick attire.

Apply for Black Leadership Institute

Be empowered! Be a leader! Join us for our annual Black Leadership Institute on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012. Strengthen leadership skills while connecting with peers and UT Arlington faculty, staff, and alumni. All UT Arlington students are eligible to apply. Space is limited.

For more information about BLI, visit www.uta.edu/multicultural. Deadline to apply online is Wednesday, Nov. 23.

Volunteer for Reading with Mavericks

Help Arlington elementary and middle school students experience the wonder of stepping onto a college campus at the Reading with Mavericks on Saturday, Dec. 3, in the Bluebonnet Ballroom of the E.H. Hereford University Center.

Volunteers will interact and read with children while encouraging lifelong reading and academic achievement. Shifts are 8-11:30 a.m. Register at uta.edu/leadership.

The event is sponsored by the Office of the President, the Leadership Center, UTA Volunteers, and Score a Goal in the Classroom School Incentive Program. For more information, contact the Leadership Center at 817-272-9220 or email utavolunteers@uta.edu.

Adopt an angel for the holiday season

Help a child from infant to 14 years old have a brighter Christmas through the annual Angel Tree drive.

Angels are available at the Leadership Center office in Room B160 of the E.H. Hereford University Center. Interested participants will be given age, gender, size information, and wish list for a child in need.

Bring purchased items to the Leadership Center by Friday, Dec. 2.

Fair share

Blake Carpenter, left, academic adviser and lecturer for modern languages, assists Randall Acheson, information systems junior and retired member of the Coast Guard, at the Veterans Activities Fair in the Maverick Activities Center on Thursday. The Student Veterans Advisory Council sponsored the fair, which provided information about programs and services designed to help student veterans succeed.

Recycle electronic items Wednesday

Recycle those old electronic items 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, near the southwest corner of Woolf Hall for America Recycles Day. The Office of Sustainability hosts the event.

Departments will be responsible for bringing their items for recycling. Items with a UT Arlington sticker will not be accepted.

Bring computers/CPUs, monitors, computer peripherals, printers, fax machines, keyboards, photocopiers, televisions, VCRs, microwaves, stereos, home and office phones, cellphones, consumer electronics, printer cartridges, and rechargeable alkaline batteries.

For more information, contact Becky Valentich at becky@uta.edu or 817-272-0199.

UT Arlington leads international team on advances in bone health

Rhonda Prisby, an assistant professor of kinesiology in the College of Education and Health Professions, is the lead author on an article that could one day influence the treatment of patients with difficult to heal bone fractures and diseases like arthritis.

The article was published in the November issue of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, the official publication of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Dr. Prisby collaborated with French and Canadian scientists on a study of parathyroid hormone or PTH, which is used as a treatment for osteoporosis.

Genomics researcher receives grant to continue study of changes in reproductive functions

The National Institutes of Health has awarded biology Associate Professor Esther Betran nearly $670,000 to continue examining the genomic structure of male fruit flies for clues about the way reproductive functions evolve.

Dr. Betran has proposed a scientific model in which gene duplication rapidly changes the function and characteristics of the testes tissue of the Drosophila, or fruit fly, while leaving the genomic structure of other tissues unchanged.

The new grant will help Betran test her theory that duplicate genes become fixed in the genome as long as they perform new and beneficial functions for male reproduction. She also will explore how quickly these changes occur and how the genes manage to express only in testes by examining the evidence left behind in the genome of current species.

Fall final exam schedule available

The final exam schedule for the fall term is available online. Finals are scheduled Saturday-Friday, Dec. 10-16.

Open registration starts for winter intersession, spring terms

Open registration has started for the winter intersession and spring terms. Open registration is when all new and returning students will be able to register. Register early. The schedules of classes are online.

To determine if you need adviser clearance, check your portal page at MyMav and click on Student Center, then Holds and Details. If your academic department requires advising, you will see an academic department services indicator, or hold. Check the list of academic advising offices.

Enjoy 30th Fall Percussion Ensemble Concert

Nothing beats the 30th annual Fall Percussion Ensemble Concert for great rhythmic entertainment. The Percussion Ensemble and the African World Music Ensemble perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, in Irons Recital Hall at the Fine Arts Building. Admission is free.

The Percussion Ensemble, composed of 13 percussion music majors, presents Nathan Daughtrey’s three-movement work Adaptations based on his solo piano work of the same name. The ensemble then changes to a marimba quartet presenting Rudiger Pawassar’s Sculpture in Wood, bringing a contemporary jazz sound to the stage. The highlight of the evening is Momentum by Los Angeles Philharmonic percussionist and composer William Kraft. The ensemble is recording the work for a future CD.

Also featured is the African World Music Ensemble, pictured above, composed of students with diverse majors. The group features dances and music from various cultures of Africa. This fall the focus will be on the music of West Africa, including Nokobe from the Ewe Culture, Soko from the Komanko people in Guinea, Djole from Sierra Leone, and Yabara from the Fulani culture.

For more information, contact the Music Department at 817-272-3471.

Tuesday, Nov. 15

Clavier Series Piano Recital Free. 7:30 p.m., Irons Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building. Music, 817-272-3471.

Wednesday, Nov. 16

Commuter Appreciation Breakfast Free. 7:30-9:30 a.m., Central Library mall. Off-Campus Mavericks.

Benefit Donut Sales Benefits the Alternative Spring Break program. $1 for one, $2.50 for three. 9-10:30 a.m., also Thursday-Friday, Nov. 17-18, Central Library Mall. UTA Volunteers.

$2 Movie: Green Lantern A mystical green ring bestows a test pilot with otherworldly powers. Rated PG-13. 5:30 p.m. Also 5:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18, and 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19. Planetarium, 817-272-1183.

Thursday, Nov. 17

The School for Scandal This classic comedy-of-manners gets a modern day update. $7 students with ID, faculty, staff, and seniors; $10 general public. 8 p.m.; 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Nov. 18-19, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20; Mainstage Theatre, Fine Arts Building. Theatre Arts, 817-272-2669.

Friday, Nov. 18

Friends of the Library Featured speaker is David Stokes, author of The Shooting Salvationist: J. Frank Norris and the Murder Trial that Captivated America. McNair Scholarship Awards presented. Free. 7:30 p.m., sixth floor parlor, Central Library. Tommie Wingfield, 817-272-2658.

Saturday, Nov. 19

Benefit Car Show Benefits Cook Children's Medical Center. Entries accepted. Entries 1:30 p.m, show 2-5 p.m. $1 admission. Lot 49. Kappa Delta Pi education honor society.

Men's Basketball Mavericks vs. Louisiana Tech. Free with student ID. 7 p.m., Texas Hall. Athletics, 817-272-2261.

Monday, Nov. 21

Voice Division Recital Free. Noon-1 p.m., Irons Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building. Music, 817-272-3471.

Fall Jazz Concert Jazz arrangements by Radiohead performed by the Jazz Orchestra directed by Tim Ishii, the Jazz Ensemble directed by Dan Cavanagh, and guest artist Chris McGuire on saxophone. $3 with student ID; $5 general public. 7:30 p.m., Irons Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building. Music, 817-272-3471.

Tuesday, Nov. 22

LAN Party and Tournament Compete in a variety of computer games, such as League of Legends, Star Craft2, Battle Field 3, console games, and more. Concessions available. Free. 6-8 p.m., Room 228, Engineering Research Building. Association for Computing Machinery.

Guest Pianist Recital A piano recital with Andrew Le of Hope College in Michigan. Free. 7:30 p.m., Irons Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building. Music, 817-272-3471.

Wednesday, Nov. 23

$2 Movie: Transformers: Dark of the Moon The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the Moon and race against the Decepticons to reach it and learn its secrets. Rated PG-13. 5:30 p.m. Also 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26. Planetarium, 817-272-1183.

Ongoing

Faculty Biennial XIII A showcase for recent work created by the Department of Art and Art History faculty. Free. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, noon-5 p.m. Saturdays. Through Nov. 19. The Gallery at UTA, Fine Arts Building.

Searching from Memory Photography exhibit features artists Caleb Dulock and Jessica Fuentes. Free. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays; 2-6 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays. Through Nov. 30. Gallery 76102, Fort Worth Center.

Life and Death in the Northern Pass Photojournalist Dominic Bracco II ('08 BA) provides a view of drug violence in Ciudad Juarez. Free. Through Jan. 14. Sixth floor parlor, Central Library.

Impressions of the West: Works of Art from Special Collections More than 30 paintings, sculptures, and prints of the southwest and west. Free. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, sixth floor, Central Library. Through Jan. 14. UT Arlington Library, 817-272-3393.

Planetarium We Are Astronomers reveals the global collaboration, technology, and dedication required to answer the unresolved questions of the universe. 6 p.m. Tuesdays, 1:30 p.m. Sundays. The holiday schedule begins Tuesday, Nov. 29. Planetarium, 817-272-1183.

(For an expanded list of events, see the UT Arlington Calendar.)