SOUNDINGS - January 5, 1996

BREAKFAST IS SERVED!

The Juneau staff and faculty will be served breakfast by the chancellor and his cabinet at the annual staff appreciation breakfast Monday (Jan. 8) from 8 to 9:30 a.m. in the Mourant Cafeteria. The meal includes quiche, mini-croissant, fruit, juice, coffee and plenty of thanks.

UAS STUDENT HOUSING CONSTRUCTION NEARS HALF WAY POINT

Work on the new UAS student residence hall is nearing the half way point and is expected to be finished on schedule. Project director Mike Greene said the entire building mass is now in place, the roof is on, and the building is dry. "Weather won't effect us as we continue the project from now on."

The large, curved interior stairs are scheduled to arrive in early January. "As soon as that's in," Greene said, "we can complete the whole entry portion of the building. Then the building can be enclosed, temporary heat can be added and the interior work, which is now underway, can continue."

The 18,000 square foot, three story student residence hall will have 42 double rooms and space for 84 students. It's under construction near the existing student housing off the Back Loop Road.

UAS FACULTY FLIES TO WHITEHORSE TO TEACH

Four Juneau professors spent a December weekend in Whitehorse teaching Canadian graduate students. The students are Yukon Territory teachers and principals who are enrolled in a Masters of Education Program at UAS but take all their classes in Whitehorse.

"Teachers who don't have access to a graduate program find this a nice advantage," according to Mary-Claire Tarlow who is one of the UAS faculty members who flew to Whitehorse. Others were Jan Parmelee, David Marvel, and Lawrence Lee Oldaker.

The Canadian students take one course each semester. Tarlow said, "We do four intensive weekends. In the summer we spend a month, and the students take two courses."

These students will finish their masters degree program in the spring. Tarlow said, "We're working very hard to have them come to Juneau for commencement."

JUNEAU CAMPUS:

Pat Hawse, administrative assistant for Career Education, retired effective Jan. 4. She's been a university employee since 1988.

All packages for DHL should now be brought to Elizabeth Hoffman's office. The previous business counter collection point is too congested with registration.

Karen Cummins of BPA coordinated the Juneau campus collection of clothing, food and toys. After packaging the donations, she delivered them the week before Christmas to the Glory Hole.

KETCHIKAN CAMPUS:

Nearly 80 applications were received for the business administration faculty position on the Ketchikan campus. If a screening panel recommend on-site interviews, finalists will be brought to campus in January. Professor Margaret Lynne chairs the screening committee and is being helped by Professor Eric Karolak and two others from the community.

Fall was an unprecedented semester for the Fundamentals of Algebra class taught by Nancy Siemon on the Ketchikan campus. Normally withdrawals claim numerous students in Math 055. During the past fall semester there were no withdrawals, and in fact a few students picked up the class to finish incompletes. The class list crested at nearly 30 by finals week. Director of Student Services Bill Trudeau called Siemon's success "truly outstanding."

Ketchikan's Melissa Karalak found this squib on the card with her teabag string: 

        "I was gratified to be able to answer promptly:
        I said I don't know."  
                                                Mark Twain

STUDENT TO STUDY OVERSEAS

Mark Duran will spend the last semester of his senior year at Groningen, the Netherlands studying art. Duran is another of several Juneau campus students who have taken part in the International Student Exchange Program this past year.

Duran, a liberal arts major with an emphasis in art, plans to seek a master's degree next fall in Utah. He came to UAS after high school, he said, "To get out of the Lower 48, and to see Alaska." It was a good match. Duran said, "I'd love to come back. When I'm away from Alaska, I'm homesick."

JOB EVALUATIONS

There's been a change in the UA job evaluation process. It will be done by one person instead of by campus committees. The Statewide Office of Human Resources has hired Jim Kessler as the Job Evaluation Coordinator. During the next 18 months he will evaluate all jobs in the university system.

Kessler has 16 years experience in compensation management and job evaluation. He was hired after the University Business Council decided that having one person working full time on a job evaluations was more time and cost efficient than the current committee structure.

Any job evaluation forms currently in the process will be passed on to Kessler for scoring. All UAS job evaluation forms should still be submitted to the Juneau personnel office for transmittal to Kessler in Fairbanks.

UAS FEATURED ON TV

Faculty and staff from the Juneau campus are regularly appearing on "Juneau Live" channel 8 TV's daily news program at 6 p.m. UAS alternates with the Juneau school district every other Tuesday.

Faculty and staff who have already appeared include Jason Ohler, computers; Ed Caine, marine biology; Marjorie Fields, early childhood education; Joey Waters, writing; Cathy Connor, geology, and Bruce Gifford, spring registration. Information officer Scott Foster is the UAS host.

"THANKS!"

A fire hit Georgia Sepel's home in early December. Sepel, who works on the Juneau campus, finally moved back into half the house on Christmas Eve while repair work continues. Sepel thanked the fire department. "It's not as bad as it could have been, but it'll take a long time and lots of money to repair," she said. "Thanks to all the wonderful staff, faculty, and students at UAS for their emotional support, prayerful support, and generous gifts. It's real touching to know so many people care."

SITKA CAMPUS

The Northwest Coast Native Arts Program will be held on the Sitka campus Jan. 15-26. Artists include Stan Bevan, bowl and spoon carving; Delores Churchill, basketry; and Ernest Smeltzer, halibut hooks, paddles or drums.

Jeannie Watson was selected Adult Basic Education Program Student of the Semester. Watson received her GED in 1988. In November she earned her Certified Nursing Assistant certificate.

Jim Burris is Sitka's ABE/ESL Tutor of the Year. Burris, a Literacy Volunteers of America Tutor, has spent the last year tutoring two Japanese exchange teachers.