Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Union Institute & University to Welcome Nationally Recognized Scholars for Nine-Day Ph.D. Residency

Program includes keynote speaker Dr. Ed O’Neil, Dr. Richard Cuoto and Peter Block, and visits to Cincinnati museums

CINCINNATI – Downtown Cincinnati will be home to more than fifty scholars from across the country when they converge at the Garfield Suites January 4-12 to take part in Union Institute & University’s (UI&U) residency for cohort Ph.D.s in interdisciplinary studies. The residency will feature keynote speaker Dr. Ed O’Neil, a pioneer in international healthcare and author of the book, Hippocrates Revisited, as well as presentations by community consultants Peter Block and Dr. Richard Cuoto.

UI&U’s Ph.D. in interdisciplinary studies is one of the most innovative among other doctorate programs in the county. The learners come together as members of cohorts that are formed based on the program’s three areas of concentration; ethical and creative leadership, public policy and social issues, and humanities and society.

“The program is adult centered – collegial but not professor/student centered,” said Judith Bryant, a Detroit-based organizational consultant and Ph.D. candidate. “The residencies are a way for me to connect, and are a great source of inspiration.”

True to UI&U’s “classrooms without walls” approach to higher education, the residency will utilize the Cincinnati community as a learning tool. Every term, learners visit Cincinnati museums, as part of their residency. This term, groups – or cohorts - will return to the Freedom Center, while others will visit the Contemporary Arts Center. Cohorts will return to Garfield Suites after their visit, to share their experiences in a discussion.

“We are proud that these (UI&U) doctoral candidates will have the opportunity to visit the Freedom Center during their residency in Cincinnati and hope that they are inspired by the past struggles for freedom so that they can act as agents to help eliminate modern day slavery,” said Donald Murphy, CEO of the Freedom Center.

Keynote speaker Dr. Ed O’Neil will talk about his work in international healthcare at 6 pm, Wednesday, January 9, at the Garfield Suites Hotel at 2 Garfield Place, Downtown. The talk is free and open to the public. Dr. O’Neil is the author of Awakening Hippocrates: A Primer on Health, Poverty, and Global Service, and A Practical Guide to Global Health Service. He is the founder the non-profit organization Omni-Med, (www.omnimed.org) which focuses on health volunteerism and ethical leadership. To date, over 120 physicians have gone abroad through Omni Med’s innovative, cooperatively designed programs in Belize, Guyana, and Kenya.

Contact: Jonathan Eskridge, academic residency advisor, 513-487-1199 or jeskridge@tui.edu.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Union Institute & University Appoints Three New Members to Board of Trustees

Cincinmati, OH--Union Institute & University (UI&U) Board of Trustees Chair Cheryl Foley recently announced the election of Thomas A. Gilman, Dr. Hanmin Liu, and Larry C. Spears to UI&U’s Board.

“The appointment of these outstanding leaders is a clear indication that Union is on to great things. Each new member brings a valuable experience and specific expertise to the Board, and their efforts to help their communities emulates the Union’s mission and vision wonderfully,” said Roger Sublett, president of UI&U.

Thomas A. Gilman, a Cincinnati-based executive and entrepreneur, is the owner and CEO of Baldwin Gilman LLC, a nationally-recognized professional and executive search firm that places individuals in career positions based on compatibility with organizational values and cultures.

Prior to purchasing Baldwin Gilman, he worked for more than three decades at Deloitte, a leading professional services firm where he played an integral role in acquiring and integrating two smaller consulting firms and helped develop, launch, and manage the firm’s mid-market consulting practice. He retired from Deloitte as the deputy managing director of its consulting practice.

Gilman earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Miami University and served on the school’s Business Advisory Committee. His expertise will serve the trustees in their efforts to focus on budget management.

A UI&U doctoral alumnus, Dr. Hanmin Liu brings a long history of leadership and community engagement and activism to the Board.

After graduating from UI&U in 1978, Dr. Liu founded the United States/China Educational Institute, an organization dedicated to “improving health, education, and youth services” in the United States and China.

In 1997, he furthered his vision by creating the Wildflowers Institute in San Francisco, an organization aimed at working with communities to help build a strong sense of identity through self-organized activities for young people and families.

Dr. Liu also holds a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the New York University School of Dentistry, where he graduated with honors.

Larry Spears, senior fellow and president emeritus of the Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership, recently stepped down from his position as president and CEO of the center, where he served for more than 16 years. Spears was previously the managing director of the Greater Philadelphia Philosophy Consortium, a cooperative association of 12 colleges and universities in the Philadelphia area. He also served as a staff member with the Great Lakes Colleges Association’s Philadelphia Center and with the Quaker magazine, Friends Journal, in Philadelphia, PA.

Spears is also a nationally known writer, editor, and speaker on leadership. Since 1970 he has published more than 300 articles, essays and book reviews, including many for in-house publications. He is senior editor of the Greenleaf Center’s newsletter, The Servant Leader. Spears has also been interviewed by numerous publications, including: Fortune, the Indianapolis Business Journal, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Washington Post, and Advancing Philanthropy. A February 2004 television broadcast interview of Spears by Stone Philips on NBC’s Dateline was seen by ten million viewers.

His 30 years of experience in organizational leadership, entrepreneurial development, non-profit management, and grant writing will be of great benefit to UI&U.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Union Institute & University’s Criminal Justice Online Program Helps Officers Advance

New Online Program and FOP University Selection, UI&U’s Criminal Justice Department Educators Anticipate a Successful New Year

CINCINNATI – Advancements this year in Union Institute & University’s criminal justice programs in the Miami center and others, continue to strengthen the already popular degree track – considered by most law enforcement professionals as one of the most practical and respected programs for continuing their education.

In April, the Ohio Board of Regents approved UI&U’s BA in criminal justice online program, designed to help officers earn degrees while accommodating their unique work schedules.

“In Miami and throughout Florida it is becoming in law enforcement to have a college degree,” says Chief Roland Pandolfi, an advisor and faculty member for UI&U’s criminal justice program. “(UI&U) provides the structure and flexibility police officers need to go back to school. The new online program is learner centered and challenging academically.”

Colonel James Smith of the Pierce Township Police Department in Cincinnati is currently finishing his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice through UI&U’s online program.

“This is the only way I could finish my degree,” said Colonel Smith. “My work schedule is too demanding and there is no way I could go back to school on certain days or even evenings.”

Colonel Smith attended the University of Cincinnati, and finds UI&U’s online program just as challenging. “When I get on the computer late at night – sometimes as late as five in the morning – I am amazed that my professors are online, ready to help me,” said Colonel Smith.

UI&U President Roger H. Sublett sees the new program as a continuation of what it has done for more than 40 years. “Union Institute & University has historically focused on adults seeking relevant and meaningful education that not only fits into their busy lives, but also provides them with the knowledge and confidence to advance in their careers,” he said.

The new online program promises accelerated degree completion, “but not at the cost of engagement with faculty or with current trends in law enforcement,” said Sublett. “By working with professional organizations like the FOP, faculty advisors honor the police officer’s busy work schedule, expertise, and experience, all while fostering an officer’s ability to make a difference in his or her community.”

Dr. Ellen Marshall, coordinator of UI&U’s criminal justice online program, said that, unlike other criminal justice online programs offered at universities, every member of UI&U’s faculty is either a retired, or current law enforcement professional.

“We’ve been there,” says Marshall, of the faculty. She earned three degrees (including her doctorate) from UI&U while serving as a police officer in Delaware. “We know what the learners are going through so we can provide great advice and great guidance.”

Also in April, Union was selected by the National Fraternal Order of Police as one of only ten higher learning institutions to become a member of FOP University – a consortium of universities and colleges that provides FOP members with multi-varied leaning programs in both traditional and non-traditional forums.

“Out of the ten schools, Union is the only one that can offer baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral programs that can be tailored to the law enforcement community,” said Dr. Tim Mott, associate provost of distance learning for UI&U. “Being one of only 10 schools in that network helps us stand out in a very crowded field.”