Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Dream when you’re feeling red, white and blue

Every culture honors core myths that define its nature and purpose. One that is most enduring for Americans is “the American Dream.” But when we discover its many expressions around us and then examine its meaning for ourselves, “the American Dream” becomes more complicated, far richer, even problematic in a time of economic crisis. In “Living the American Dream,” an interdisciplinary seminar course to be taught in spring 2010 by Dr. David Rowe, history, students will examine themselves—their gifts, desires, potential. Each student will find a way to express “the American dream” using the gifts he or she has—narrative, music, art, poetry and video. What will it take to realize the dream? At the end, students will have had an opportunity, using their university education, to reach out beyond themselves and connect to a greater vision that can inspire.

Contact Rowe at 615-898-2646.
dlrowe@mtsu.edu

UTeachM

MTSU has received a five-year, $1.925 million grant to help launch MTeach. The program, which will launch Jan. 1, is a replicate of the nationally known UTeach program created at the University of Texas at Austin in 1997. “UTeach recruits strong math and science majors with a chance to try out teaching for free through two one-credit freshman courses that help the college student prepare and deliver an active-learning lesson for elementary school students and middle school students,” says Dr. Tom Cheatham, dean of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences. Dr. Phil Waldrop, associate dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Science, says, “This grant gives us the opportunity to do exciting work in the preparation of math and science teachers and will allow us to recruit top students into the teaching profession in ways that aren’t possible now.”

Contact Cheatham at 615-898-2613 or cheatham@mtsu.edu
Contact Waldrop at 615-898-2874 or pwaldrop@mtsu.edu

Underwater in a landlocked state

Mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures were weak in the second quarter. According to Tennessee Housing Market, a publication of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center, “The continued weakness in mortgage loans is a consequence of the financial stress Tennessee households are experiencing as joblessness rises and household incomes fall. Mortgages past due in Tennessee rose to 10.33 percent in the second quarter, higher than 10.09 percent in the first. New foreclosures in Tennessee continued to climb, reaching one percent of all mortgages. The current inventory of mortgages in foreclosure recorded its largest increase yet, rising by .26 percentage points from the previous quarter.”

Contact the Business and Economic Research Center at 615-898-2610.

TR EXTRA

THE RED AND GREEN BADGE OF COURAGE--In October 2006, Lee Ann Newton, executive aide for MTSU’s Tennessee Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Center (TMSTEC), learned that a friend’s son had lost both legs in an IED (improvised explosive device) explosion in Iraq. His tragedy and those of other wounded soldiers prompted Newton to launch Operation Christmas Care. She has placed a drop box in the hallway on the first floor of the Fairview Building, 820 Fairview Ave. in Murfreesboro, where members of the campus community can drop off holiday greetings for injured military personnel, and she is encouraging others on campus to collect cards in their buildings. Newton writes, “E-mails are nice, but a colorful card or letter with a heartfelt message of support and encouragement can beam from their walls until they leave (the hospital).” To ensure timely delivery, Newton says she will send the last batch of cards on Tuesday, Dec. 15. Contact Newton at 615-904-8573 or lnewton@mtsu.edu.

IMPULSE ART--The final Bachelor of Fine Arts Senior Candidates Exhibition for the fall semester is on display through Thursday, Dec. 10, at MTSU’s Todd Art Gallery in Room 224 of the Todd Building. Titled “follow {y}our impulse,” it is described as a show “designed around impulse and creativity.” The participants write, “Creative thought, uncurbed passion and refined talent are necessary for success, and we incorporate those ideals into our work daily. We believe as designers we tend to design off our own impulses as well as those we perceive from our audience and clients.” Todd Art Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, closing only on state and university holidays. Contact Eric Snyder, gallery director, at 615-898-5653 or esnyder@mtsu.edu.

CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS--The first annual Department of Accounting CPE (Continuing Professional Education) Day at MTSU will be held Thursday, Dec. 10, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building. Seminars during the conference include presentations on Ponzi schemes and fraud, international financial reporting standards, accounting and financial reporting, auditing and taxation. Participants can earn up to eight hours of CPE credit. The cost is $150, which includes all seminars, materials and lunch. Due to limited seating, participants should register early. Visit http://www.mtsu.edu/accounting or call the MTSU Department of Accounting at 615-898-5306.

SAY IT TO THE SECRETARY—“Student Voices on Education: A National Town Hall Meeting with Arne Duncan” has been rescheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, live on the Education Resource Channel@Middle Tennessee. Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, will serve as moderator for the broadcast, which will air live in Murfreesboro on Comcast Channel 9. The program is part of the monthly “Education News Parents Can Use” series that airs evenings on ERC@MT during the K-12 school year. Gail Fedak, director for Instructional Media Resources at MTSU, says the program’s town hall-focused format will allow for call-in and e-mail questions. In turn, schools in Rutherford County that normally receive the university’s K-12 programming on ERC@MT, as well as interested community members, may tune in to participate in the live discussion. Contact Fedak at 615-898-2740 or gfedak@mtsu.edu.

BOOK IT!--The University Writing Center at MTSU is joining forces with Project Help and Murfreesboro City Schools Outreach during the holiday season to encourage children’s literacy. In its team effort to promote the cause, UWC staff will accept new and gently used children’s books now through today, Dec. 9, as well as money donations, which will go toward the purchase of youth titles. Meagan McManus, a peer mentor and UWC writing assistant, says members of the UWC staff will attend Project Help’s fall semester celebration on Thursday, Dec. 17, to share some of the donated books with the lab’s children. Donations are accepted in Room 325 of Peck Hall from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Fridays, and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, contact the UWC at 615-904-8237 or e-mail McManus at mcm2r@mtsu.edu.

HAIL THE HEROES!--MTSU’s Black History Month Committee is accepting nominations for unsung heroes to be honored at the annual Unity Luncheon, which is slated for Feb. 3, 2010. Nominees must be individuals who have made outstanding contributions to their community, are age 60 or older and have lived in the Middle Tennessee area for 25 years or more. The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, Dec. 11. To nominate a person worthy of this great traditional honor, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/aahm/nominations/shtml and fill in the online questionnaire. For more information, contact Valerie Avent, assistant director of the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs at 615-898-2718 or vavent@mtsu.edu.

I’LL GRANT YOU THAT.--The MTSU President’s Commission on the Status of Women is offering three grants of $1,800 each to faculty members who want to integrate the experiences and perspectives of women into the curriculum. The grants are intended for use in the summer of 2010. The 2009 winners include Dr. Gretchen Webber, sociology, for her new undergraduate course “Gender, Work and Family in the 21st Century; Dr. Meredith Huey Dye, sociology, for her special topics course “Women in Prison;” and Dr. Tricia Farwell, journalism, for her “Advertising and Social Media” course. The deadline for faculty to submit applications for the 2010 grants is Tuesday, Jan. 19. For more information, contact Dr. Samantha Cantrell at 615-494-8751 or scantrel@mtsu.edu.