There is so much going on this week. Here are some ways to get involved in back-to-school activities.
Week of Welcome, Aug. 25 - 29
Wear your Week of Welcome T-shirt and/or “Ask Me” badge this week.
Faculty and staff who wear their Week of Welcome gear identify themselves to new and returning students as someone who can help. New students most often ask for directions—simply point them in the right direction. If you don’t know the answer to a question, direct the student to the Week of Welcome canopy near the library, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday – Thursday and 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. Friday, or to the Student Services Center.
Friday at noon, wear your Week of Welcome T-shirt and meet in the Firstenburg Family Fountain for a group photo.
Wave the Flag, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Aug. 25
Enjoy the greeting as faculty, staff and alumni wave the flag to welcome everyone back to campus all day today.
Student Diversity Center Grand Opening, 2 – 4 p.m. Aug. 26, Firstenburg Student Commons, Room 136
Come learn about the services offered by the new Student Diversity Center. Celebrate its grand
opening with food, music and activities.
Back to School Barbecue 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Aug. 27 on the Quad
Faculty and staff are invited to join students for a free Hawaiian barbecue lunch. Enjoy a 25th anniversary cupcake for dessert. The barbecue is sponsored by the Office of Student Involvement and the Student Activities Board. Special thanks to the sponsors for including staff and faculty.
Ice Bucket Challenge, 11:45 a.m., in the Firstenburg Family Fountain
Responding to a challenge
by President Elson S. Floyd, come see how Chancellor Mel Netzhammer and two dozen students approach the challenge. Go VanCougs!
Campus Update and Reception, 4 p.m. Aug. 28 Dengerink Administration Building, Room 110
Join Chancellor Mel Netzhammer as we launch the new academic year. Learn about WSU’s efforts to start a medical school. Cheer for our largest freshman enrollment ever. Acknowledge the nominees for the Chancellor’s Award for Staff Excellence and give a shout out to the 2014 winner.
Stay for the reception at 5 p.m. in the Dengerink Administration Building, Rooms 129/130. Catch up with your colleagues and pick up a 25th anniversary gift. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and a festive beverage.
Outdoor Movie Night, 8 p.m. Aug. 28, amphitheater
Watch “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” under the stars. This is a free event. Guests are invited to donate nonperishable food items to the Cougar Food Pantry.
Pick up your parking pass
Your 2014/15 parking pass is ready for pick up at Parking Services in the Physical Plant Building. Last year’s parking passes officially expire this week, so don’t delay.
Ernst-Slavit co-editor for seven-volume series
Gisela Ernst-Slavit, professor of education and associate dean for diversity and international programs, is the co-editor of a seven-volume series of case studies showing how teachers are integrating common core state standards for diverse learners with different learning needs. The books in the series were published by Corwin during 2013 and 2014.
The series is titled
“Academic Language in Diverse Classrooms.” Each of the first six volumes is devoted to a specific content area (English language arts or mathematics) and grade level (K-2, 3-5 and 6-8). The seventh, “Definitions and Contexts,” released this spring, discusses the overall philosophy.
“Academic language” is used in the classroom and other formal contexts, such as books, and helps with development of an adult vocabulary. It differs from the language people use at home, with friends or at work. For children new to the English language, learning the words and the content at the same time is a huge challenge.
“English language learners have to learn English, but in addition they have to learn the language of science, of math, of social studies, of English language arts,” Gisela said. Academic language “is like a third language for them.”
The case studies, written by practicing teachers and academics, offer detailed guidance in using students’ past family and cultural experiences to help them connect with academic words and concepts. The books have already garnered rave reviews from experts in the field.
New art exhibit at City Hall
Erin Dengerink, clerical assistant in the Department of Arts and Sciences and School of the Environment at WSU Vancouver and an artist, has curated an exhibit opening Aug. 29 at Vancouver City Hall, 415 W. 6th St. The exhibit features work by two local artists: sculpture by Vicki Lynn Wilson and collages by Greg Bee.
Wilson’s monumental sculpture, titled “Strata,” is
influenced by work on an archeological dig in Ridgefield, Wash. Bee’s mixed media works blend abstract and recognizable forms. There will be a reception from 6 – 8 p.m. Sept. 5 at City Hall. The exhibit runs through Nov. 7.
WSU Vancouver professor and students participate in “Food for Thought”
An exhibit about Clark County’s food history, based on research conducted by history students, runs Sept. 4 through April 30, 2016, at the Clark County Historical Museum, 1511 Main St., Vancouver. Titled “Food for Thought: Clark County’s Food History,” the exhibit features artifacts, documents and images from the museum’s collection.
The museum will host an opening reception from 5 to 9 p.m. Sept. 4 as part of First Thursday Museum After Hours. Guest curator and WSU Vancouver Professor Candice Goucher will lecture at 7 p.m. Admission is $4 for adults, $3 for seniors and students, $2 for children and $10 for families, or free with museum membership.
New edition of Tech Talk available
The August 2014 issue of Vancouver IT Tech Talk is available online. Included are tips for the beginning of fall term, wireless information and more.
Celebrate 25: A day in campus history
In celebration of WSU Vancouver’s 25th anniversary, the library will share important moments in campus history throughout this year.
On May 10, 1989, the Washington State Legislature passed
Senate Bill 6095, officially establishing WSU Vancouver as a branch campus of Washington State University. This significant legislation emphasized the importance of access to higher education for the citizens of Washington and formally started WSU Vancouver on its 25-year journey.
A copy of Senate Bill No. 6095 can be found in the Library's
digital collections
under WSU Vancouver Historic Photographs and Documents. The founding document is included in the Library Archives as part of a collection of materials documenting efforts to establish a four-year college in Southwest Washington since the 1960s.
(Pictured above: groundbreaking at Bauer Hall, 1989)
WSU Vancouver in the news
Local nonprofits to be honored for excellence
Aug. 21, 2014 The Columbian
Friends of the Children and Washington State University Vancouver's Business Growth Mentor and Analysis Program are up for the Excellence in ...
Cultural practices need to be factored in when dealing with Ebola RFI
RFI's Laura Angela Bagnetto spoke to Barry Hewlett, a professor of anthropology at Washington State University in Vancouver, and a leading expert on the anthropological aspects of dealing with contagious diseases in Africa.
Reminders
The Fitness Center reopens today
The library has returned to normal hours: Mon. – Thur. 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Fri. 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sat. and Sun. noon – 5 p.m.
RSVP for an exhibit table at the Sept. 3 and 4 Involvement Fair by Friday
Schedule a TIAA-CREF consultation online
for Sept. 30, Oct. 2 – 3, or Dec. 16 – 18
Way to go!
Thanks to Facilities Operations employees, Jerry Adams and Doug Skucas, for coming in on a weekend to install 25th anniversary banners. Their efforts minimized disruption on campus and ensured the banners would be up in time for the first day of the new academic year.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Anthropologists aid in the Ebola epidemic WSU News
Barry Hewlett, a medical anthropologist at Washington State University Vancouver, states that efforts to contain outbreaks such as Ebola must be “culturally sensitive and appropriate…otherwise people are running away from actual care that is intended to help them.”
