Bridging the Gap Fall 2005

Division of General Studies University of Alabama at Birmingham

Ms. UAB 2005

Brooke Tidwell Pre-Nursing Major

*From the Director *Get Involved at UAB *Student Spotlights *What is the QEP? *Peer Connection *Thank You Orientation Leaders

*Interview with Preston: A Walt Disney Internship * Welcome New GS Staff

Raquel Mooney, Pre-Nursing

Trio Academic Services

Orlando Trip

Thank you to the 2005 Peer Connection Members

Crystal Alexander

Brittany Bradley

Adrian Farrar

Tiffany Harrell

Karla Hicks

Ashley Leonard

Natalie Madden

Shannae Morgan

Whitney Mullen

Ada Stevenson

Alftan Turner

Kesley Tyson

Erin Valentine

Jonathan Williams

Katie Wilson

Rishaun Wilson

Strength, agility and intelligence. These qualities landed a niche for Jessica Cowles in ROTC at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. So representative of corps' ideals, Cowles was selected to appear in UAB's ROTC recruitment publications.

"The ROTC recruiting officer selected Cadet Alicia Rushing and me for the poster to encourage more females to enter the program," Cowles said. She believes their recognition resulted from avid participation in ROTC work and their skill with rifles.

Based on her scholastic and athletic honors at Bob Jones High School, she received a full scholarship to UAB. "ROTC has helped me not only financially but by becoming a more influential person and boosting my self confidence in all areas of my life," she said.

Cowles, Pre-nursing major, is also a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta

freshman honor society and the only female on the ROTC Ranger Challenge team.

Thank You

Orientation

Leaders!

A special thank

you to all the

OL’s that

assisted General

Studies this

summer at

orientation!

Valerie Gribben, Alpha Lambda Delta

Scholarship Recipient

At a book signing of Ron Powers’

“Mark Twain: A Life, at Elmira, New York

Rishaun Wilson Pre-Nursing Summer Service Weekend “Here at UAB I have had the opportunities to meet influential individuals that inspire me to not only give my all to UAB but the community and world. I am a part of many organizations because they help me become a well-rounded Individual and they give me life."

(L to R) Jessica Smith, Dr. Eli Capilouto, Kevin Jerrolds, Dr. B.J. Stephens, Lisa Higginbothum

Congratulations to Jessica and Kevin for receiving the UAB and National Outstanding Academic Advisor Awards!

Ms. UAB 2005 Brooke Tidwell

Pre-Nursing

Natasha Cowper

Psychology/Pre-med

Cari Evans

Pre-Nursing

James Hause

Biology/Spanish

Kim Hardin

Biology/Pre-med

Ashley Morrow

Psychology

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Non-profit Org.U.S.Postage

PAIDPermit No.1256Birmingham,AL

Division of General StudiesHUC 318

1530 3RD AVE S

BIRMINGHAMAL35294-1150

THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMAATBIRMINGHAM

PS-15488/9.05UABPRINTINGSERVICES

Learning Outside of the Classroom

Bridging the Gap A General Studies

Newsletter

Fall 2005

Director: Nancy Walburn

Advisors: Cynthia Benion

A, B, K Lauren Hinson

C-F Kevin Jerrolds

G, H Sharon Jacobsen

I, L, M Jessica Smith

J, N-Q Nancy Goodman

R, S Misty Altiparmak

T-Z

Pre-Health Advisor: Linda Luck

Support Staff: Nancy Thomas Trinity Moore

Douglas O’Neil

Student Assistants: Meghan Cash

Adrienne Copeland Shawneaque Edwards

Adrian Farrar Ashley Leonard

Division of General Studies

318 Hill University Center 1400 University Blvd

(205) 934-6135 Fax: (205) 975-6667

Mailing address: HUC 318

1530 3rd Avenue South Birmingham, AL 35294-1150

Website address: www.uab.edu/generalstudies

The line from Emily Dickinson “I dwell in Possibility” reminds me of how fortunate we are at UAB to be a part of a culture of increasing opportunities. Everywhere you turn this fall you will see many new opportunities throughout the university. From our Quality Enhancement Program which is guiding learning experiences in and out of the classroom to the expanded study abroad menu, you will find a wide variety of activities that are exciting. General Studies advisors are connecting students with the opportunities that help them to make the most of college. In this edition of our newsletter you will read about

General Studies students who have had exciting experiences this summer. You will probably recognize some familiar faces as you read about their activities and accomplishments. After reading the newsletter, I hope you will have a greater awareness of the possibilities that await you this fall and throughout your college career. General Studies advisors want to help you maximize your college experience not just through the courses you select and the major you choose but through incorporating activities that will support and enhance your learning. I hope you will take time to talk with your advisor about the possibilities that may be of interest to you. We salute the many General Studies students who have discovered the power of living in the possibilities and are on the path to fulfilling their dreams. Our commitment to each of you is to help you find the opportunities that fit into your dreams. As we continue through the fall semester, I hope you will find through new relationships and activities the excitement of “Possibility”. Nancy Walburn, Director

In order to have a more well-rounded college experience, students have become involved in activities and learning experiences outside of the classroom. This summer, General Studies students were all over the state, the country, and world. A large part of the learning experience in college is being exposed to new and different things. Meeting new people, discovering different ways of thinking, learning new ideas, learning about different cultures, and traveling to new and different places are all ways in which you can enhance your college experience and your life in general. Volunteer work, study abroad, trips with student organizations, and internships are all experiences that allow you to discover new things about the world around you and your place in it. Getting involved is not as difficult as you might think. It might only be a click away. There are several offices on campus that have websites and information posted about getting more involved with your UAB family. Be sure to check out the General Studies website (www.uab.edu/generalstudies) and the following websites for information on the topics listed below:

http://students.uab.edu/services/

Academic Advising

Army ROTC TRIO Academic Services

http://www.studyabroad.app.uab.edu/ Study Abroad http://www.careercenter.uab.edu/ Career Center http://www.uab.edu/generalstudies Peer Connection Pre-Nursing Shadowing Program Alpha Lambda Delta Alpha Epsilon Delta

Ambassadors Bands Black Student Awareness Committee Blazeradio Campus Recreation Center Cheerleader/Blaze/Golden Girls Entertainment Committee Fraternities and Sororities Homecoming Honor Societies Intramural Sports Leadership and Service Council Music Ensembles Orientation Leaders Student Government

Nancy Goodman is the new General Studies advisor for students with last names beginning with R and S. She recently graduated with a Master’s Degree in Student Personnel in Higher Education from the University of Florida. While attending the University of Florida, Nancy advised students in the College of Business. Nancy is very

excited to be working in the Division of General Studies and encourages each of her students to make an appointment to see her during the fall semester. She looks forward to meeting and working with each you. Please do not hesitate to contact Nancy with any questions or concerns.

President

Anand Iyer, biology

Executive VP

Alex Golden, finance

VP of Initiation

Samantha Lalak, psychology

VP of Finance/Awards

Suzanne McCluskey, biology

Treasurer

Alisha George, biology

Secretary

Cari Evans, prenursing

Reporter

Bethany Jones, prenursing

Historians

Mallory Barnes, biology Tara Jaleel, biology

Alpha Lambda Delta is a national honor

society for freshmen. Our organization

promotes high academic achievement,

leadership, and community involvement.

Freshmen who earn a 3.6 or higher grade point

average during their first term of full time

coursework at UAB will be invited to join

ALD in January 2006.

Contact Dr. Joe March at march@uab.edu or

Jessica Smith at jessmith@uab.edu for more

information about ALD.

Alpha Lambda Delta UAB Chapter Scholarship Winners

2005-2006

Valerie Gribben, chemistry Sunita Jagani, biomedical engineering

Please Welcome the New Members of Our General Studies Staff

Trinity Moore Receptionist

Student Assistants: (L to R) Ashley Leonard, Shawneaque Edwards, Adrienne Copeland, and Adrian Farrar

Please come by and meet our new front desk staff! They are eager to answer your questions and assist you in

scheduling an appointment with your advisor.

2005-2006

ALD Officers

Nancy Goodman

Academic Advisor

Congratulations to Spring & Summer 2005 Dean’s List & Presidential Honors Students!

Dean’s List

KATHRYN ABERNATHY JESSICA ALLRED KATHRYN BIVENS TYESHIA BOWEN KATHLYN BRASHIER HOLLY BROWN NANCY CLARK ASHLEIGH COLLINS MARY COLQUITT CALLIE CORDLE REBEKAH CROOM COROLINE ELSBERRY ROBYN EVATT JASON EVERSULL NATALIE FOULADBAKHSH KRISTIN GOBER SUZANNE GREGG TROY GRISSOM HENRIEA HALL DAMON HAMMETT RYAN HATHCOCK

MICHAEL HEAVEN SHANNON HERRING JOHN HUGHEY BETONYA HUNT MICHAEL ISRAEL ASHLEY JOHNSON BRADLEY JONES CHRISTINA KENDRICK ELIZABETH KING ANALYN KRACKE JESSICA LAZARUS NATALIE MADDEN DONALD MARINI DANIELLE MARSHALL MATTHEW MELLOWN ASHLEY MILLER BLAKLEY MOORE LOISEM MUNENE AMY MUSICK CHRISTOPHER MYERS AERRIAL ORR VICTORIA PARK NISHA PATEL

KARI PAYTON ASHLEY PEARCE CAMILLIA PERRY ANGELA PING AMBERETTA PIPPENS SHANTAYE PRICE CHARLES PRINCE MELEAH RAY ASHLEY REYNOLDS MERCEDES RICE QUANDRIA ROBINSON CHRISTOPHER SHORT KATIE SPEAR ANDREA STAPLER LEIA TATUM ZACHARY TERRELL KATHERINE WAGNER DALLAS WAID ADRIENNE WALKER ADAM WATERS KATIE WILSON DEREK YARBROUGH

Presidential Honors

KATHERINE ATKINSON LYNDSEY AZZOLINI STEPHANIE BAKER REBECCA BROWN NICHOLAS CHIVERS DAVID CUNNINGHAM KAYLIE DEWITT AMANDA DUNN ERIN DURHAM STEPHANIE ESSLINGER CARI EVANS MAGEN FEEHAN CHRISTINE FEELEY CARRIE FERGUSON KIMBERLY GONSTAD WILLIAM GUNTER JONATHAN HOOD UUGANBAYAR JARGAL APRIL JOHNSON BETHANY JONES DANIELLE KEY

BRITTANY KIRKES AMY LITTLE TIMOTHY LOCKERT GINA LUSCO ERICA MAUST JOSHUA MCQUEEN MATTHEW ODEN BARBARA POON AMANDA RAMSEY HEATHER SIMECHAK CHRYSTAL SULLIVAN SARAH SYMMS AMANDA WESTFALL CRYSTAL WHATLEY HALEY WOODARD ERIN WRIGHT

UAB Discussion Book Activities Join faculty, staff and students at the 2

nd Brown Bag

Panel Discussion on Tuesday, October 11 from 12-1pm in the HUC Auditorium.

Mark your calendar. . November 7, Author Anne Fadiman will give a public presentation at 7:00 pm at the Alys Stephens Center. She will deliver a talk on the subject matter of her book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. For more information on the discussion book, visit the website at uab.edu/discussionbook.

What is the QEP and why does UAB need it?

The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) sets goals for student learning and develops a plan for the university to reach the goals. Every 10 years, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) evaluates UAB to make sure that it is meeting the highest educational standards. Passing the evaluation means that UAB maintains its regional accreditation, which is the SACS certification of quality. What is in UAB’s QEP?

UAB’s plan describes a Shared Vision of every UAB graduate, regardless of his or her major. The QEP will initially focus on these three competencies:

*Writing

*Quantitative literacy—problem solving

*Ethics and civic responsibility

What is the QEP?

An Interview with…

Preston Ferguson, Undeclared

Walt Disney World College Program

How did you hear about this opportunity and how did you go about “signing-up”? I actually heard about the opportunity to participate in the Walt Disney World College Program from the many flyers that were put up across campus. As far as signing up goes, I went to wdwcollegeprogram.com and followed the directions about the application and interview process.

How long is the internship? The co-op can either be five or eight months long with the chance to extend longer if one enjoys it enough.

What were your responsibilities both in Disney and as a student? Did you have homework assignments, journals, a final exam?! There were a lot of responsibilities with Disney; it's a full time job. There was a lot of work, and while I didn't receive credit for the program, I did gain a lot of life experience pertaining to the Business and Entertainment worlds.

Describe a typical day on the job? I worked in Main Street Strollers and Delivery Services at the Magic Kingdom. My typical day on the job would be to take care of tasks for a little while, then work on a register, have a break, and continue working on my tasks. No two days were the same in the location I worked in, so I was able to do different jobs and assignments everyday.

What kind of perks came with being at Disney (did you get a free lifetime pass to DW, were you able to go as much as you wanted during your co-op, etc). There were a lot of perks with working with Disney. I received free admission into all the WDW parks, comp. tickets for friends and family, discounted movie and event tickets, discounted merchandise, hotel discounts, and many others. I was able to go to the parks as many times as I wanted and I would go into work a few hours early and get a few attractions in before I had to start my shift.

What skills did you gain that you think will help you later on? I gained so many skills that I can use later and even now in life. When I started the program I met people, but I didn't like to be in the spotlight. The program helped me to be more extroverted and comfortable meeting people. I gained networking skills that will help greatly in the long run, and now I have a good standing with one of the biggest companies in the world.

How will the QEP affect me?

Fully implementing the QEP will take several years, so over time you will see changes to the undergraduate curriculum. For now the changes you may see include: *Restructured freshman composition and math courses *Activities related to the UAB Discussion Book The QEP was designed to give UAB students the best educational experiences and to prepare all students for pro-ductive and meaningful careers and lives that benefit society. More information about UAB’s Strategic Plan and the QEP can be found on http://main.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=55211.

What is your advice to students who may be thinking about doing something like this? If there was any advice I could give to students thinking about doing this would be that it's a very rare chance in life where you can create a lifetime network with a fortune 100 company. Don't be afraid and go with your instinct about what you want to do.

What was the best/worst part of the experience? The best part of the program was the experience itself, while it was a lot of work, I met some really amazing and interesting people. I feel that if you can handle working at Walt Disney World that you can handle working anywhere. As far as the worst part, it would probably be those weeks where one night I would close and the next day I would be opening.

Would you participate in the co-op program again? I would do the program again without any restraint. It was a great experience.

What are your plans for the future? My plans for the future are to be a Disney campus rep. when I finish college, go to culinary school, then do the culinary internship which would allow me to get a job on the Disney Cruise Line or something at the Walt Disney World Resorts.

Academic advising can be a meaningful and rewarding experience, so let your advisor help you Blaze Your Way to Success!

We have designed activities that will give you just what you need as you make the transition from high school to college. Visit our web site to get started on your first semester activities at www.uab.edu/generalstudies.

After completing each term’s activities, you will need to update Your Academic Journal with honors and awards, university and community activities, and work experience. You will learn to use the portfolio to track significant experiences throughout your college career and later connect them in building a resume.

Sara Oakes

http://students.uab.edu/student-life/