UNCG broke ground May 18 on a new, 120,000-square-foot School of Education building during a public celebration that included Chancellor Linda P. Brady and Dale Schunk, dean of the School of Education. The new building is expected to be ready by Fall 2011. The first “green” building on campus, the new School of Education will stand on Spring Garden Street next to the Bryan School of Business and Economics. The $47 million structure will meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards. The sustainable design is expected to save an estimated 35 percent on energy costs. The construction start carries an economic benefit. State economists estimate that every $1 million spent on a construction project results in 36 new jobs, and for each dollar spent on a project, $2.28 is pumped into North Carolina’s economy.
Residence halls
No decision has been made on whether to renovate or rebuild the Quad residence halls, and the Board of Trustees will be receiving further information over the summer on the long-term direction for student housing at UNCG.
Chancellor Linda P. Brady may present information to the board at the Aug. 25 committee meetings, and will have a proposal on the Quad for the Trustees’ Sept. 10 meeting. She held nine forums on the Quad during spring semester to gather feedback from alumni, students and trustees, along with Faculty and Staff Senates.
As requested by the board, detailed information is being prepared that includes a comprehensive plan that provides a long-term vision for campus housing. Other information will focus on further development of details on the Quad’s options, a capital model for financing, a phasing schedule for the Quad and future housing projects, and incorporation of both the new Strategic Plan 2009-2014 and the Campus Master Plan, approved in fall 2007.
It’s a Quad quandary. The objects of interest are Bailey, Coit, Cotten, Gray, Hinshaw, Jamison and Shaw halls. Although not the oldest residence halls on campus, they were constructed between 1919 and 1923 at a cost of approximately $110,000 each. That means the “newest” of them opened 86 years ago.
Because of historic interest, sentimental value, and sheer magnitude, the project has drawn considerable attention from preservationists and from alumni, many of whom love the old halls and fondly recall their days in them. At one forum, the daughter of an alumna said “My mother says don’t tear down Old Bailey — that’s where she buried Rick and Ilsa.” The interred Rick and Ilsa were goldfish, named for Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman’s roles in the movie “Casablanca.”
While the Quad has sentimental value to some alumni, others value the importance of building for the future. As one alumna [who lived in Jamison as a freshman] said in an email to Chancellor Brady, “About 10 years ago I revisited the dorm and was amazed at how the space had shrunk (ha! ha!) and how old and outdated it all was. I think I would vote for a complete rebuild, keeping some sort of quad configuration if possible.”] As for current students, the Student Government Association and the Residence Hall Association passed resolutions in support of rebuilding the Quad.
On UNCG’s landlocked campus space has always been at a premium, and the Quad’s location makes it one of the best sites for student housing, within easy walking distance to the entire campus. The Quad has the lowest occupancy per acre of any of the halls, 755 students living in seven halls on six acres. A suite-style renovation would result in fewer “beds” in the Quad buildings, and a new residence hall would be needed immediately to meet student demand. After all, UNCG enrollment is not standing still. The campus is projected to have between 22,000 and 24,000 students by 2025 — a whopping increase from last fall’s headcount of 17,467 — and they’ll need somewhere to live.
UNCG has a goal of trying to provide on-campus housing for at least 25 percent of the student population, which is expected to grow more than 1000 students by 2012. To maintain that level, a 2008 Institutional Research projection of housing needs showed that approximately 400 new beds would be required by 2011, and an additional 400 each by 2014 and 2017.
“This project needs to move ahead,” Brady said. “If we delay much longer, even in the most optimistic circumstances, we will not be prepared to house those 400 students in fall 2011.” Adding to the urgency is a UNC-system requirement to have all residence halls equipped with fire sprinklers by 2012.
Cost estimates indicated $99 million for tearing down and rebuilding the halls, which would provide 1,100 beds. Suite style renovation would also require the construction of a new residence hall of 554 beds, at an estimated cost of $47.8 million, and the renovation to the existing structures estimated to cost $42.6 million to provide 546 beds — for a total of $90.4 million.
Zim Ugochukwu talks with the media about the Ignite Greensboro [got two] Project while standing by the Rock.
Two dollars may seem like only spare change to you, but to senior Zim Ugochukwu it's something else entirely.
Two dollars can buy a cup of coffee. Or it could go toward Ignite Greensboro – a group Zim organized to raise money for the International Civil Rights Museum and boost the level of activism in Greensboro.
Once, Greensboro was a hotbed of activity. The Woolworth sit-in helped launch the civil rights movement. These days, few students even know about plans to open the International Civil Rights Museum located in that same Woolworth store on Elm Street, Zim says.
Last year, she took a political science class that led her to work on the Obama campaign. From there, she developed a passion for getting people involved.
The lack of student awareness and activism weighed on her. She eventually met with Greensboro Mayor Yvonne Johnson to brainstorm what she could do to make a difference.
They discussed getting representatives from each of the Greensboro colleges to raise $2 for the International Civil Rights Museum, which is scheduled to open in 2010. It symbolizes the cups of coffee four freshman NC A&T students attempted to order at the lunch counter at Woolworth in 1960.
"That idea stuck with me," Zim says. "If we could collect $2 from each student, they would own a part of history."
The Ignite Greensboro [got two?] Project has engaged students at UNCG, A&T, Bennett College, Guilford College, Greensboro College, Guilford Tech and Elon University School of Law. Zim has been pleased with the excitement she’s seen. "I didn't think students would be as responsive as they were."
Her goal is to raise $30,000 to $50,000. The money will be used to support the museum, bring in speakers and pay for scholarships and service projects.
"It's much more than the Civil Rights Museum,” she says. “It is a student-led, student-built and student-run project aimed to reestablish a sense of obligation to the community, culture and history of Greensboro. It's about getting out there and doing something."
Her passion is contagious. In July, she traveled to DC to receive a national student leader award from Campus Progress.
In addition to raising funds, she has spent her summer implementing other thought-provoking events such as the Black Marker Program, which asks people to use two words to answer a question on a white board. The results are captured in black and white photos.
Another series of events, the $2 Concert Series, celebrates works of artists who have dedicated their lives to promoting movements of strong and powerful messages. “Their work highlights ever-present issues of engagement and involvement,” Zim says.
And just before school starts, she hopes to do a flash mob around the topic of education. A flash mob involves a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual action for a brief time, then quickly disperse.
"I want to be in their face – just a little bit," she says. "I hope to change lives.”
To learn more, visit www.ignitegreensboro.org.
UNCG faculty, staff and students celebrated Shakespeare’s 445th birthday April 24 with a marathon reading of the Bard’s 154 sonnets. Readers, many of them in Shakespearean garb, gathered in front of Jackson Library. The celebration ended with sparkling grape juice, cake and a rousing verse of “Happy Birthday.”
Dr. Henry S. Levinson
UNCG honored Dr. Henry S. Levinson, longtime professor of religious studies, with HENRYFEST March 28 and 29.
On March 28, HENRYFEST featured a screening of the "The Human Stain." Levinson, who is retiring, led a discussion after the film.
"Festive Judaism and Strong Democracy," a conference celebrating Levinson’s contributions as a scholar and teacher, followed on March 29. Colleagues and former students from around the country spoke about Levinson’s impact on the study of religion in a democratic society and his contributions to Jewish philosophy. They roasted Levinson with brief and humorous anecdotes.
Levinson holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford and a doctorate from Princeton. He is the author of three books and numerous articles. He taught at Stanford and Harvard before joining the UNCG faculty in 1982. He headed the Department of Religious Studies from 1990-1999, and was also associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He has taught courses in American religious thought, modern Judaism and the philosophy of religion.
Four people. Four legacies of service. Four award winners.
On April 2, Chancellor Linda P. Brady recognized the four recipients who received UNCG’s top awards for service this year. The recipients are:
Ann Goodnight received the Charles Duncan McIver Award, recognizing individuals who have rendered distinguished public service to the state or nation.
Goodnight is currently director of community relations at SAS, a leading company in business analytics software and services. She is dedicated to promoting education and the arts statewide. She is currently involved with the N.C. Museum of Art, UNC Board of Governors and the William and Ida Friday Institute for Education Innovation at N.C. State University.
She and her husband, Jim, who is CEO of SAS, have endowed several professorships at N.C. State University. Other examples of her philanthropy include awarding $3 million in software grants to the UNC system as well as grants to at least five universities in other states, supplying students at three Raleigh public schools with personal computers and training middle school teachers in technology at Cary Academy. Her numerous volunteer efforts include one program that allows employees to earn financial donations for education through their volunteer work.
Florence Gatten received the Adelaide F. Holderness / H. Michael Weaver Award, honoring North Carolinians who have rendered distinguished public service to their community or state.
Gatten, who served three terms as a member of the Greensboro City Council, was honored for her work to promote the best in community leadership at the local level. Her community activities include the Moses Cone Health System Board of Trustees, the Women’s Health Services Community Advisory Group, and the Greensboro Economic Development Partnership Board. She was also the founding director of the Greensboro Public Library Foundation.
Most recently, she has become a member of the Greensboro War Memorial Commission and is chair of the board of trustees of Well-Spring Retirement Community. She has been a strong advocate for the partnership between the UNCG School of Nursing and the Greensboro Housing Authority, which connects student and faculty nurses to vulnerable populations. Gatten now serves as a member of the advisory board of the UNCG School of Nursing/Well-Spring Health Centers. She owns Gatten Enterprises, a media and public policy consulting firm.
Dr. Sarah Langston Cowan ’65, ’81 PhD received the Alumni Distinguished Service Award, presented to alumni who have rendered distinctive service on national, state or local levels, and made significant contributions to the liberal arts ideal.
Cowan, a textile consultant, has a relationship of more than 40 years with Woman’s College and UNCG. She has spent the last four decades working as a student, a faculty member, a dedicated alumna and a community supporter. She was president of the Alumni Association, headed fundraising efforts for the Alumni House, and has served on boards and committees to strengthen alumni connections and advance the curriculum.
She is active in Girl Scouting. She founded and ran a program for volunteers at Price Traditional School in Greensboro and served as PTA president there. She has been a math tutor for at-risk students at Kiser Middle School and a volunteer mentor with the organization Communities in Schools.
Dr. Kelly Hannum ’97 MEd, ’03 PhD received the Young Alumni Award, presented to alumni who are 40 years of age and younger, recognizing exceptional achievement and significant contribution to the recipient's profession or community, society or the university.
Hannum, who is manager of research at the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, joined the center as a research analyst in 1999. She has also served as a training facilitator for executives seeking leadership development at the Center for Creative Leadership.
Although she qualifies as a young alumna, she has accomplished a lot in a short time. Hannum has established herself as a thought leader in the fields of evaluation, leadership and leadership development, and was awarded the Marcia Guttentag Award for early career achievement by the American Evaluation Association. She was a consultant to NASA, designing and conducting an evaluation of the affiliate component of the NASA Space Grant Program. She was a visiting faculty member at Catholic University in Lille, France, and has been an adjunct member of the UNCG faculty since 2004. From July 2008 to this February, she was a senior leadership expert with The World Bank in Washington, D.C., serving on field missions to Timor-Leste and Burundi, where she evaluated eight leadership development initiatives in conflict-affected regions.
If you know someone who deserves UNCG’s highest honors, consider nominating them for the Charles Duncan McIver Award or the Adelaide F. Holderness / H. Michael Weaver Award. The deadline for nominations is Oct. 23.
Submit nominations at www.uncg.edu/ure/publicservice.
With gifts and pledges from more than 22,000 donors, UNCG raised more than $115 million in its Students First Campaign. The five-year fund drive came to a close on June 30.
The grand total of $115,346,891 exceeded the $100 million goal by 15.4 percent. The campaign has created 14 new professorships, 203 new undergraduate scholarships, 42 new graduate scholarships and 155 program funds and student awards programs.
Gift totals included $57.5 million from approximately 14,000 alumni; $22.6 million from more than 6,000 friends, including parents; $30.8 million from approximately 1,000 corporations, foundations and others; and $4.4 million from about 1,000 faculty and staff.
“Reaching our goal is an extraordinary achievement, and a tremendous testament to the generosity of our supporters and their belief in this university,” said Chancellor Linda P. Brady. “UNCG is a stronger university because of every gift that has been made to the Students First Campaign. Thousands of loyal supporters have brought us to a successful conclusion, and we are deeply grateful to them.”
University Advancement Vice Chancellor Patricia W. Stewart expressed gratitude for the campaign’s leadership and for the university’s supporters.
“A great team has led the campaign, and passing $115 million in the midst of this economic downturn speaks well of the support and understanding that people feel for this wonderful institution,” said Stewart. “Many devoted individuals understood the importance of giving back – intellectually, creatively, compassionately, financially and in so many other valuable ways. Everyone’s efforts have paid off in engaging approximately 22,000 alumni, friends, corporations and foundations who contributed the funds needed to secure UNCG’s future.”
The campaign was launched on July 1, 2004, with a $78 million goal. That mark was raised to $100 million in September 2006, and was reached in July 2008 – a year ahead of the campaign’s end date. Its success was recognized with two prestigious WealthEngine Awards for Fundraising Excellence from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.
Major gifts in the campaign include:
- $4 million gift from alumna Rebecca A. Lloyd ’50 of San Diego, which is providing an endowment for UNCG’s International Honors College.
- $3.65 million pledge from Robert and Lissa Shelley McDowell ’68 of Seattle to create endowments for the Weatherspoon Art Museum and the Bryan School of Business & Economics.
- $1.25 million from the C.D. Spangler Foundation to fully endow a new, $1 million distinguished professorship and to provide $250,000 in matching funds to help create another professorship.
- $6 million gift from an anonymous donor, which is creating a $4 million undergraduate scholarship fund, a $1 million graduate fellowship fund and two distinguished professorship endowments.
The campaign’s top two initiatives, undergraduate and graduate scholarships and faculty development, drew $61.9 million and $13.5 million, respectively – or more than $75 million. Other major areas in the campaign included building an exceptional learning environment, with $32.2 million raised, and research and service support, with $4.1 million raised.
Planning has begun for UNCG’s next campaign.
“As UNCG’s student body continues to grow, the need for new endowments will grow along with it, as we compete to recruit the best students and to assist the neediest of North Carolina’s students,” said Stewart. “Keeping plans moving for our next campaign is a necessity.”
Exceeding campaign goals is a habit at UNCG. The Second Century Campaign, completed in 1998, raised $55.4 million, and the Prospectus III Campaign concluded with $13.5 million in 1984 – both passing their goals.
What do bad economic times and Walmart have in common?
Not the sales tags with lower prices that may immediately spring to mind.
Based on research conducted by two UNCG scholars, economic recessions and big-box retailers like Walmart tend to make you healthier.
There is a relationship between economic downturns and health outcomes, says Dr. Christopher Ruhm, the Jefferson Pilot Excellence Professor of Economics in the Bryan School. “When the economy is on the decline, people tend to drink less, smoke less, cut down on eating out and drive less,” he says, all behaviors that have a positive health benefit.
“The punchline is people get healthier when times are bad,” he says.
And while tough economic times may drive more customers to the big-box retailers that have expanded their markets in recent years, that doesn’t necessary have to equate to an expanded waistline, says Dr. Charles Courtemanche, an assistant professor of economics.
“There’s been a lot of emphasis placed on the availability of processed foods. Of course Walmart, Super Walmart, Sam’s Clubs and other wholesalers sell pretty cheap, processed foods,” says Courtemanche. “One would expect that if these stores enter the marketplace, folks would increase their consumption of unhealthy processed foods.”
But put to the test, that theory was dead wrong.
“What we found, for all three of them, their entry was either associated with a small reduction in weight and obesity or had no effect,” Courtemanche says. “None of these stores make us gain weight.”
Instead, Courtemanche and his co-researchers found that the entrance of the big box and wholesale retailers often leads consumers to make healthier food choices with positive health benefits.
A heroic effort.
That’s what Chancellor Linda P. Brady called the work of all those who brought the UNCG Plan 2009-14 to fruition.
The UNCG Plan 2009-14 is a new, five-year strategic plan for the university. It contains new mission and vision statements, and it clarifies UNCG’s values and identifies strategic areas in which UNCG is poised to expand.
This summer, deans and the executive staff are working on an operational plan to support it. In the fall, groups of faculty and staff will join in this work as well.
View the plan as well as the final report of the Strategic Planning Committee at uncgtomorrow.uncg.edu.
You might remember Gabriel Wel Jok, a student profiled in the fall 2007 UNCG Magazine. As one of Sudan’s Lost Boys, he chronicled his journey from refugee camp to biochemistry major.
Now there are more chapters to his story. In 2008, he became an American citizen. And earlier this year, Wel made his way home for the first time since 1987. Read about his Sudanese family reunion.