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December 2009 Bonner Weekly Updates

Page history last edited by Rebecca Grinstead 14 years, 2 months ago

 

Bonner Weekly Updates

Current                   Archived

 

The Bonner Foundation staff send an email each week to our Bonner Directors, Coordinators, Partners, etc. The purpose of the email is to keep everyone informed of important Bonner announcements as well as to send information we think might be beneficial or valued by the Network. 

 


 


December 7, 2009


Weekly Update — December 7, 2009

[1] A View from the Middle: The Weekly Relocates 

[2] Conference Announcement: 2010 Sustainability Conference, March 18-20

[3] In the News: “New Wave of Student Activism”

[4] Position Opening: University of Alaska Anchorage

 

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[1] The View from the Middle: The Weekly Relocates

 

*You might notice the name I’ve assigned to this introductory announcement: A View from the Middle. I wanted a spot in the list of the announcements where I could say hello every week and mention little things that aren’t really important enough to be announcements on their own, but should be mentioned nevertheless: so from now on, that will go in this little section. I tried to think of a more clever name to give it, but this is all I came up with. My office near the middle of the other offices here at the Foundation, and I usually feel like I’m doggy paddling in the middle of everything happening around me here, so I thought the name was apt. Send me your suggestions if you can think of a better one!*

 

As of today, the Weekly is moving to Mondays. Now, I know what you’re going to say. The Weekly was the thing that got you through your weekends. Without it, you fall into a slump that lasts until Monday morning, effectively ruining any chance at happiness you might otherwise have had over the two days you’re away from your desk and cut off from the thrill of getting updates from Bonner.  All I can say is, I realize what a riveting publication this is. But, as our President has taught us, change can be a good thing. I have faith that, in time, you will adjust to this new Weekly schedule. Press on, brave souls, press on.

 

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[2] Conference Announcement: 2010 Sustainability Conference, March 18-20

 

Interested in promoting a culture with a conscious? Consider taking part in the 2010 Sustainability Conference at Longwood University from March 18-20. Speakers have been carefully chosen in order to address the three themes of sustainability: 

 

  • Environmental Stewardship
  • Economic Development
  • Social Justice

 

Presentations will be student-oriented and include topics such as: the fair trade movement, standard of living in the developing world, ecotourism as a vehicle for sustainable development, careers in sustainability, sustainability efforts in Africa, importance of water resources, and how to host a poverty dinner on your campus. Speakers will include Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s; Bill Bass, owner of Fair Indigo Clothing; and Yared Fubusa, founder of Tanzania’s Gombe School for Environment and Society.

 

The registration fee is $28 per participant (includes catered lunches). In addition, there is a limited amount of housing assistance available for delegations coming from a distance (offered on a first-come first-served basis).  To see the complete agenda and to register, go to www.longwood.edu/sustainabilityconference/. Please contact Dr. Melanie Marks at marksmb@longwood.edu with any questions

 

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[3] In the News: “New Wave of Student Activism”

 

*This news story was written by Jennifer Epstein and published on Inside Higher Ed’s website on December 3, 2009.*

 

WASHINGTON -- Students at California public universities have been staging protests against budget cuts and fee hikes all fall, capturing local and national attention with administration building sit-ins, 24-hour library occupations and large outdoor rallies.

 

Though they’ve been the loudest this fall -- and in particular, over the last few weeks, as the University of California Board of Regents voted to raise tuition by 32 percent -- California’s students aren’t the only ones organizing to protect their financial and educational interests. As institutions and states take red ink to their budgets and green ink to their tuition bills, students in Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York have begun speaking out. Students in Canada, Germany and Austria are also agitating against tuition hikes and budget cuts.

 

“A new era in student activism has … emerged out of California,” said Victor Sanchez, president of the University of California Student Association (USCA) and a senior at UC Santa Cruz, at the start of a panel discussion here Wednesday hosted by the Campus Progress branch of the left-leaning Center for American Progress. “It’s the beginning of a student movement. It’s a movement against the privatization of our public institutions here in the United States.”

 

To read the full article, go to http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/12/03/activism

 

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[4] Position Opening: University of Alaska Anchorage

 

The University of Alaska Anchorage seeks applications for a Director of the Center for Community Engagement and Learning (CCEL). The University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) is an innovative and dynamic institution with national distinction in community engagement, holding a Carnegie classification for both Curricular Engagement and Outreach and Partnerships.  UAA is Alaska’s largest regional university with an enrollment of 20,000 students studying in over 190 degree programs. 

 

The Center for Community Engagement and Learning (CCEL) 

The Center is the primary entity promoting and supporting service-learning and community-engaged research at UAA.  The CCEL enables the university to effectively carry out its community engagement mission to connect academic programs with community need, and use scholarship and action for the mutual benefit of the University and the State, its communities, and its diverse peoples. It mentors faculty as they develop courses and projects incorporating engagement between academia and the community, and evaluates the community engagement activities at UAA.  The Center also provides the development and support for UAA’s Certificate in Civic Engagement. The Center for Community Engagement & Learning was established by the University of Alaska Board of Regents in 2000. It resides within the UAA Office of Academic Affairs and is accountable to the Senior Vice Provost.  

 

CCEL Director Job Description

The Director will lead the Center in the development and expansion of its mission, provide administrative oversight of its activities, programs, and staff, and will direct activities associated with the evaluation of community engagement.  Responsibilities include working with the Senior Vice Provost, faculty, and the advisory board to identify, develop, and support service-learning and community-engaged research courses, projects, and curricula; supervising personnel; managing fiscal and other resources; and working with colleagues within the university and public and private sector partners. The successful candidate will devote time to teaching, research, and service in their discipline. 

 

Applicants must have experience with service-learning courses and/or community-engaged research in a higher education environment, as well as demonstrated experience in:

 

(1) forging and maintaining community connections,

(2) program development, management and assessment,

(3) successful proposal writing for external funding, and

(4) faculty development, student mentoring, interdisciplinary teaching, program and curriculum development. 

 

Competitive candidates will demonstrate successful partnerships with diverse community agencies, and possess excellent oral and written communication skills.

 

Specific responsibilities include:

• Assist faculty through consultation, mentoring, and facilitation to integrate community-engaged learning and research into existing courses and the development of new courses;

• Develop campus awareness of principles and best practices of effective and ethical university-community partnerships and the scholarship of engagement;

• Manage, coordinate, and monitor a network of Center relationships and partnerships;

• Oversee, plan, and serve as primary representative for UAA’s community engaged learning and research at local, national, and international levels;

• Develop, write, and administer grants from public and private sources to support the advancement of community-university partnerships and community-engaged learning;

• Allocate resources to faculty and students involved in community-engaged learning;

• Increase campus-wide community-engaged learning and research activities;

• Assess the impact of community-engaged activities on students, faculty, and community partners;

• Teach and develop curriculum within the undergraduate Certificate for Civic Engagement.

 

This is a ten-month appointment.  Option for fixed term or tenure track faculty appointment commensurate with candidate’s qualifications.

 

A master’s degree is required, with terminal degree or PhD preferred (discipline open).

 

UAA is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.  Candidates with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.  

 

Information about UAA may be found at www.uaa.alaska.edu.   Information about the CCEL may be found at www.uaa.alaska.edu/engage.

 

 To apply, go to http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/humanresources/employment/index.cfm

 


December 14, 2009


Weekly Update - December 14, 2009 

[1] A View from the Middle: New layout, holiday parties, and podcasts
[2] Bonner AmeriCorps Reminders: Suspension Procedures and Reporting Questionnaire
[3] IMPACT Conference Registration
[4] Announcing the new Bonner Congress Advisory Board
[5] Making your campus more inclusive to LGBTQ Students and Studies
[6] Undergraduate Ethics Symposium
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[1] A View from the Middle: New layout, holiday parties, and podcasts
 
Happy Monday, friends! As you can see, the Weekly Update is getting a facelift. I have a couple of ideas up my sleeve, so if this new format doesn't work well for you let me know and I'll try another. Meanwhile, here's what I've got to report:
 
Currently, I am in the middle of some MAJOR Holiday Open House preparations. I wish you all lived close enough to stop by for some good food and wine tonight, because the Bonner Foundation is going to be a happening place. The only thing that could make it a more festive (seriously, you should see the volume of wreaths and candles we have going on here) would be some Christmas karaoke. But we really need all you directors and coordinators for that one, so I have a feeling it's not going to happen. Even though you won't be here in person, please consider yourselves here in heart and wished a very merry holiday season from all of us here at the Bonner Foundation. 
 
Last but not least, some of you may remember me running around with a microphone during the fall directors meeting at Montreat.  Click here to listen to the Bonnerversary Opus podcast that I created from some of the interviews I gathered. Podcasts are pretty easy to create, and lots of fun. If you enjoy this one, consider trying it out with your own program. 
 
Alright, that's all I've got for today. Please do take some time to read through the rest of the Weekly - we have some important announcements, reminders, and deadlines you don't want to miss. And remember - deviled eggs that sit out too long at holiday parties should be avoided at all costs. Christmas cookies, however, are always safe. 
 
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[2] Bonner AmeriCorps Reminders: Suspension Procedures and Reporting Questionnaire
 
Bonner AmeriCorps Suspension Procedure (this can get messy, so please read!)

Please remember that all requests for the suspension of a student's AmeriCorps term of service must be made in writing on the Request for Suspension Form as soon as possible (but not later than 25 days) after a student's circumstances merit such a suspension of their commitment to serve hours on a regular basis. If time is of the essence, the required form can be scanned and sent via pdf (or faxed) to your case management contact at the Foundation as long as you also mail us a copy of the completed form so that the copy with original signatures can be kept on file at the Foundation.

Please remember that all of your student's hours logs must be up to date and properly submitted before a suspension request is processed or these hours cannot be counted when the student is re-instated.

For a more complete review of suspension procedures, please refer to Page 15 of the Bonner AmeriCorps Enrollment Workbook.

 
Bonner AmeriCorps Reporting Questionnaire hits the scene!
 
We have just posted the 2009-2010 Bonner AmeriCorps reporting questionnaire to our wiki. To view the form, please click here. We hope this document will help you as you gather the required reporting information this year.  We anticipate asking programs for this information in Summer 2010.  
 
If you have any questions, please contact Christen Foell at cfoell@bonner.org
 
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[3] IMPACT Conference Registration
 
IMPACT CONFERENCE - GET REGISTERED BY JANUARY 22, 2010 FOR BONNER DISCOUNTS!
 
As you've heard (we hope), the IMPACT Conference, formerly the COOL Conference, will be held March 19-21, 2010 in Little Rock, Arkansas.
 
The host is the Clinton School of Democracy, working in partnership with several other organizations.  This is the largest conference of its kind, in which college students, staff and other practitioners, and social change oriented non-profit organizations attend.  Attendance is expected at more than 700 people representing 300 institutions.  Students and staff lead workshops on a wide array of topics connected to community service, advocacy, social justice work, socially responsible business, and more.
 
Typically, more than 250 Bonner Scholars and Leaders attend every year, and we also gather them on one evening.  You can also use this event as a Sophomore Exchange.  Participants from Bonner schools receive a SPECIAL DISCOUNT, but you must register by JANUARY 22 to take advantage of it.
 
Visit www.impactconference.org to register your participating students and staff today!
 
SUBMIT WORKSHOPS BY JANUARY 22, 2010

 

Also, this is a great opportunity for students to design and lead workshops, but to do this they must submit them through a semi-competitive national process.  This year, the conference is especially seeking workshops in these areas:

  • Action (Service)
  • When Social Change Meets the Classroom (Service-Learning & Community Based Research)
  • The Politics of your Work (Organizing, Coalition Building, Policy, and Advocacy)
  • Leading your Work (Management & Skill-Based Workshops)
  • Changing the World 3.0 (Technology)
  • Taking on the Issues (Issue-Based Workshops)
  • Greening Your Community: Helping Your Community Be Environmentally-Savvy
  • Administrator Focused

 

Also visit www.impactconference.org  to submit a workshop!  Don't delay, as some have already submitted early bird proposals.

 
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[4] Announcing the New Bonner Congress Advisory Board
 
The Bonner Advisory Board is a group of select Congress reps who aspire to step up and take a larger leadership role within the Bonner Congress Network.  Their will be a total of 10 Advisory board members— with 2 from each region (southeast, south, northeast, midwest and west coast). Their duties will consist of:
- acting as liaison between Congress and Foundation
- assisting with the Bonner Congress tracks for fall and summer meetings, as well as gatherings at the Impact Conference
- coordinating activities with other Representatives and Bonner Programs in their region
- submitting content for the monthly Bonner Congress Newsletter  
 
This is a 1 year position and it is available to Congress Reps only. 
 
A brief application from each interested students is due Friday December 18, 2009. 
Members will be selected by January 7, 2010.
 
You can find the application here, on the Bonner Network Wiki (just below the blocks of pictures, at the end of the paragraph describing the Board).
 
If you have questions, email Michael Richardson at mrichardson@bonner.org.
 
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[5] Making your campus more inclusive to LGBTQ Students and Studies
 
If you are looking for ways to make your campus more inclusive to LGBTQ Students and Studies, consider attending this conference: Expanding the Circle:  Creating an Inclusive Environment in Higher Education for LGBTQ Students and Studies
 
Planned in partnership by:
 
Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)
Association for College and University Religious Affairs (ACURA)
Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals
Global Fund for Women • Professional and Organizational
Development (POD) Network in Higher Education
 
February 25–28, 2010 • San Francisco, California

 Visit the conference website: www.ExpandingtheCircle.com.

Register by December 15 to take advantage of our early registration rate.
 
In this conference for education professionals, we will address factors that have contributed to excluding lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) issues from academic study and student life; and also explore strategies to make our campuses more inclusive for all students. We will examine strategies and best practices that effectively integrate LGBTQ areas of teaching and research with student life activities. This will be among the first national conferences in higher education to focus on LGBTQ concerns by seeking connections across diversities, disciplines, and academic and student affairs.
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[6] Undergraduate Ethics Symposium
 
Undergraduate Ethics Symposium- April 8-10, 2010
 
DePauw University invites you to take part in the Undergraduate Ethics Symposium at the Prindle Institute for Ethics, a center for interdisciplinary reflection on ethical issues.  This symposium is an opportunity to engage in dialogue with leading scholars and artists about today's ethical concerns. 

 

Although students may write about any ethical issue, this year we especially encourage submissions focusing on Self-Interest, Altruism and Morality: Evolutionary, Religious and Philosophical Perspectives.  Students may submit either an argumentative essay or a creative piece.  Participants' travel (up to $400), lodging, and meals will be covered by the Institute.  Submission deadline is February 1, 2010. 

 

This is a great opportunity to share an essay, film, or other work with students and scholars from across the country.  Students from all academic majors are encouraged to participate. Click here for additional information.  


December 21, 2009


 

Weekly Update - December 21, 2009

[1] A View from the Middle: Parting is such sweet sorrow
[2] Bonner Congress Advisory Board Application Due Date Changed
[3] Bonner Video Project 2010: Let the filming begin!
[4] Martin Luther King Day Preparations
[5] Feature Bonner: Zadewine Kemah, Mercer County Community College
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[1] A View from the Middle: Parting is such sweet sorrow
 
Merry almost-Christmas, friends! I don't know how you spent your weekend, but here in Princeton we spent it snowed in. People told me a lot of things about New Jersey before I moved here, but no one told me to expect this much snow! I have to confess though, I really love it. Nothing says Christmas like pine trees blanketed in snow.
 
I have some bittersweet news for you all. As much as I’ve enjoyed my foray into the realm of service learning and highter ed, I will soon be returning to the world of theater. Much to my delight, I have been offered the position of grant writer for the McCarter Theater here in Princeton, NJ. Before I joined the staff of the Bonner Foundation, I did some grant writing for two theaters in Indiana. I found the work incredibly invigorating – partly because it utilized my love of writing and partly because it gave me an excuse to immerse myself in theater – and I’m excited to be returning to it. 
 
One of the things I'll miss the most about Bonner is getting to interact with so many of you, even if it is only through weekly email updates. I wish you all the best in the weeks and months to come. Have a blast celebrating Bonner's 20th Anniversary! I'm excited for all the great ideas that so many of you brainstormed at the fall directors meeting, and I'm definitely sad to miss what I'm sure will be some great times come SLI. 
 
My last day here at the Foundation will be December 31st, and since there won't be an update sent out next Monday, this is the last Weekly you'll receive from me. Thank you for so generously sharing your lives with me these past few months. As I move forward in to this next stage of my career, I go armed with a better understanding of the power of service to unlock hidden stories. I am forever grateful for this lesson.
 
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[2] Bonner Congress Advisory Board Application Due Date Changed
 
Here at the Bonner Foundation, we understand that your students have all have been bogged down with finals and preparing for holiday travel, so we would like to extend the Bonner Advisory Board Application to January 8th, 2010.  You can find the application here, on the Bonner Network Wiki (just below the blocks of pictures, at the end of the paragraph describing the Board). This extension should give your students more time to fill out the application and get it in with out having to rush.  If you have any questions, feel free to email Michael Richardson at mrichardson@bonner.org. Happy Holidays!
 
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[3] Bonner Video Project 2010: Let the filming begin!
 
If the title of this announcement didn't prompt you to leap out of your seat and grab a camera, then clearly you are not pumped up enough for the 2010 Bonner Video Project. Watch this video (created by our some of our very own staff members here at the Foundation) and check out this wiki page to learn about the exciting new catagories (and less-exciting-but-still-important-new-deadlines) for this year's video project. Let the filming begin!
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[4] Martin Luther King Day Preparations
 
Martin Luther King Day is a great opportunity not only to engage in community service, but to demonstrate what it can mean when everyone has a voice on the critical issues that face us. Renewing America Together: Celebrating Martin Luther King Day through Citizen Action, Conversations and Service is a discussion guide that can help people build on existing community projects and create new opportunities for others to join. Need some help planning your Martin Luther King, Jr., Day event? Check out Nick Connell's advice in this discussion forum and contact Everyday Democracy.
 
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[5] Feature Bonner: Zadewine Kemah, Mercer County Community College
 
Mercer County Community College (MCCC) student and Bonner Leader Zadewine Kemah is currently featured on MCCC's website for her tutoring and mentoring work with the "Triumphant Teens" program at the college. The program gives at-risk teens served by HomeFront a vision of a life that includes college and mainstream employment. Click here to read the complete story.
  

 

  

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