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Monday, December 5, 2011

MailOnline: 72 students from Oprah Winfrey's South African school graduate...and the brightest are off to universities in the U.S.




MailOnline
December 4, 2011

All 72 students from Oprah Winfrey's South African school graduate... and the brightest are off to universities in the U.S.
By Graham Smith

She was raised by her grandmother in a neighbourhood beset by poverty and crime after her mother died of Aids.

But Mpumi Nobiva will soon become one of the first to graduate from Oprah Winfrey's South African school.

From there the 18-year-old will head to university in North Carolina.

Winfrey spent $40million to give her girls a campus with computer and science labs, a library and a wellness centre at the school in Henley-On-Klip. None paid tuition fees.

The students are high-achievers, often from communities where schools are struggling to overcome the legacy of apartheid.

And as the South African school year nears its end, all 72 members of the school's first graduating class have been accepted to universities in South Africa or the U.S.

More than a dozen have received full scholarships.

Winfrey told her students that when you teach a girl, you teach a nation.

Born into poverty: Mpumi Nobiva, 18, will graduate from Oprah's school in January after which she will study at a university in North Carolina.

'The first class, my class, will prove that,' said Nobiva, who will study visual and performing arts at Johnson C Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Winfrey will be at the school for graduation ceremonies in January, school officials said today as students gathered to reflect on their experiences over the last five years.

The school has drawn sometimes harsh attention because of the celebrity who founded it, and also because of early problems.

Students have been accused of being spoiled, while allegations that a woman employed to care for the girls in their dormitory had instead abused teens were the subject of headlines around the world. The woman was acquitted last year.

Earlier this year, a baby born to a student at the school was found dead, again drawing international attention.

'Yes, we've had bad coverage,' Nobiva said. 'But it has certainly made us stronger.'

Winfrey, who has visited her school often, has instilled a sense of purpose.

On Wednesday, Nobiva's classmates - aspiring doctors, accountants, engineers and lawyers - spoke of their plans to serve their communities.

'You can imagine the impact of girls with that insight going out into the universe,' Nobiva said.

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Diverse Issues in Higher Education: FAMU Student Government Association Plans Forum and Vote on a Campus Pledge To Ban Hazing From Student Organizations


December 5, 2011
by Reginald Stuart

Student leaders at Florida A & M University (FAMU), hoping to help repair damage to the school’s reputation stemming from the death last month of a school band drum major after a hazing incident, are planning to ask peers across the campus to sign an anti-hazing “agreement.”

“In order for us to move on, we must address the problems of hazing by collectively committing to the eradication of hazing on this campus,” says FAMU Student Government Association President Breyon Love, a senior at the university majoring in business administration. FAMU has an enrollment of some 13,000 students.

Love’s comments Friday were issued as the Student Government Association announced a campus-wide “anti-hazing” forum on Monday, declaring mandatory attendance by representatives of all official campus groups. Clubs and organizations failing to have representation at the forum “will be sanctioned by the SGA,” says Love.

Love, who described the passing of drum major Robert Champion as “a tragic shock to the FAMU community,” did not respond to requests for a clarification of the penalties a group could face. Generally, sanctions at colleges run the gamut of possibilities from withdrawal of financial support to being banned from campus.

The call for the mandatory anti-hazing forum was one of several dizzying developments to emerge in recent days as the school continues reeling from the aftermath of the student’s death. The incident spurred the school to suspend the world famous “Marching 100” band indefinitely and dismiss its veteran band director, Dr. Julian White.

FAMU president Dr. James Ammons advised his board of trustees late Friday that four FAMU students have been “dismissed” from the school in connection with the hazing incident.
Further, Ammons suspended the work of his quickly organized, high-profile task force on hazing pending the outcome of several law enforcement investigations into the incident. The task force includes the state’s former attorney general and a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist, among others.

At least three law enforcement agencies have active investigations. The incident occurred in Orlando on a band bus after a college football game during which the FAMU band played and performed at half-time. White has retained a lawyer to help him re-gain his job. The Champion family says it intends to sue the school.

Ammons said Friday he would attend the student anti-hazing forum and a special faculty meeting on Monday. Some faculty at the school have increasingly complained they have not been kept up to date on developments on a timely basis, noting they are learning as much, if not more, through word-of-mouth, from the school’s campus newspaper and other media outlets.

As the healing effort and legal investigations progressed on campus, speculation emerged in some circles over the weekend about whether an inquiry would be initiated by the influential Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

The Atlanta-based independent agency sets performance standards for most colleges and universities in the South. One section of its rules deals with “institutional environment” and whether a school maintains a reasonably safe learning environment for students. SACS ends its December meeting this week in Orlando.

Meanwhile, Tommy Mitchell Sr. national president of the FAMU alumni association and a drum major in the FAMU band in the 1950s when he was a student says alumni are concerned about the impact the hazing incident has had on the school’s image and reputation.

Mitchell acknowledges much of the FAMU community is divided over the firing of band director White, an institution at the school, and is debating whether President Ammons should be embraced for his efforts or dismissed.

Mitchell says the alumni association is withholding judgment pending the outcome of the various investigations into the specific hazing incident and more information on how the school hierarchy has handled past complaints of hazing. Mitchell warns of responding too hastily, noting the risk of falling victim to people with personal agendas who may use the hazing incident to advance their own causes.

Meanwhile, Mitchell, who recently reported a 42-percent gain in alumni giving, says alumni will be working hard to do what they can to help restore FAMU’s image and reputation as a top school for college-bound students.

“We’re not in a position to let a few students destroy this band or this institution,” says Mitchell. “We have a problem that we have to solve.” 
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Dillard University Fall 2011 Final Grading Procedures

The myDU portal for the entry of final grades is OPEN.  Final grades are due Monday, December 12, 2011 at 12 noon.

Guidelines for myDU grade entry:
  • If a student does not appear on your roster please contact me immediately via your DU email account
  • Enter the last day of attendance and the number absences for each student.  The system will not let you submit your grades without the last date of attendance and number of absences.
  •  Every student should receive a final grade of either A, B, C, D, P, F, NC, FA or I (incomplete
  • All zero credit courses should issue a grade of “P” for pass and “NC” for no credit.
  • Only issue “I” (incomplete) for those students whom you have made arrangements with to submit final work at a later date.  Please see page 20 in the current catalog
  •  For students who did not successfully complete the course due to the Attendance Policy should be issued a grade of “FA” Failure for Attendance.
  • ALL FINAL GRADES ARE DUE at 12noon on Monday, December 12th
Please contact me via email pengland@dillard.edu if you are unable to access your course(s) on myDU and if you have any questions or concerns.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation!

Pam England
Registrar/Director of Records and Registration
Dillard University
2601 Gentilly Boulevard New Orleans, LA 70122
504.816.4705 (Office)
504.816.4391 (Fax)
 "Your Avenue of Opportunity"



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FREE YouTube Webinar: Conquering a Sea of Syllabi



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ISSUU: The FREE Super Book of Web Tools for Educators


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Free Technology for Teachers: FREE DOWNLOADS!!!



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Campus Technology FREE Whitepaper: Managing the Business of Higher Education


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Academic Impressions Copyright and Faculty Rights Webcasts


Do you wish you knew more about how copyright and fair use laws apply to teaching and research?
Faculty, instructional support personnel, and other academic administrators are invited to join us online for a two-part webcast that will help increase your understanding around the challenges and solutions of applying copyright law in your classrooms, research, and scholarship.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
You may register for one or both of the following sessions.
Session 1: Faculty Use of Copyright
  • Copyright in the live classroom
  • Copyright in the virtual classroom
    • Teaching with the TEACH Act
    • The special problem of films and other audiovisual materials
    • Opportunities and risks of social media sites
  • Fair use of copyrighted works
    • Fair use in course management systems
    • Classroom guidelines for copies
    • Fair use in research
Session 2: Faculty Ownership of Copyright
  • Principles of copyright ownership
    • Copyright in your own works and publications
    • Steps to protect and manage your copyright
  • Publication agreements
  • Fair use of copyrighted works
  • Licensing requirements
  • Open content requirements
  • Control, use, and licensing

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Mediasite 6 is here, go mobile!


Trusted by more than 900 colleges and universities, Mediasite is the leading lecture capture and video content management platform that improves student learning and helps you deliver successful online programs.
Mediasite 6 is here and just a click away! Mediasite 6 includes the broadest range of mobile streaming from a professional-grade lecture capture platform. Now, students and faculty can watch Mediasite presentations right from their iPads®, iPhones®, iPods® and BlackBerrys®.

To learn more about Mediasite 6, we’ve compiled a series of resources, including an informative webinar about how you can implement this technology in your classrooms.

If you would like more information, simply give us a call toll free at 877-783-7987 or +1-608-443-1600 and you’ll be on your way to Going Mobile with Mediasite 6.

The Sonic Foundry Crew

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