Wednesday, March 30, 2011

UI&U Creates Challenge Grant to Help Save Community Pool

CINCINNATI, OH – In an effort to provide funding that will enable the Cincinnati Recreation Center to operate the Bush Recreation Center pool for the 2011 summer season, Union Institute & University (UI&U) has established a $10,000 matching challenge grant to encourage Walnut Hills residents and businesses to contribute to the cause.
UI&U President Dr. Roger H. Sublett, working with Kathy Atkinson, president of the Walnut Hills Area Council, made the first calls to action to Walnut Hills businesses and residents last week. Striving to procure the $38,000 needed, Sublett and Atkinson report that the response has been overwhelming, with generous donations from private residents and local area organizations including the United Way.

“Union Institute & University is committed to socially responsible leadership, is serious about being a good citizen, and is proud to be a part of this important collaborative effort to save such a vital part of our Walnut Hills neighborhood,” said Sublett. “The residents, particularly the children, need a place to gather this summer. The pools provide a safe place, a learning environment, and good fun.”

The Bush Recreation Center pool is integral to the Walnut Hills community. It serves as a refuge for many area children who come to the pool to interact with their friends, stay cool, and be supervised by caring adults while their parents are working. Atkinson has been spearheading the effort to get the pool funded for the 2011 summer and said that they need less than $7,000 to move forward.

“We would not have been able to do it without the leadership from Union Institute & University and other organizations,” said Atkinson. “This is an example of how a community can come together in support its neighbors and to ensure it has the resources necessary to support the lives of its residents.”

For more information or to donate to the Bush Recreation Center Pool contact Kathy Atkinson at 513.487.6197 or at katkinson@mnministries.org.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

UI&U's Psy.D. Program Offers Spring Continuing Education Workshops

CINCINNATI, OH – Union Institute & University’s (UI&U) Doctorate in Psychology program (Psy.D.) will offer three workshops for mental health professionals seeking continuing education credits beginning April 21. The workshops will be conducted by UI&U Psy.D. faculty and held at UI&U’s Cincinnati Academic Center in Walnut Hills. Union is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The workshops have also been approved for continuing education credits by the Ohio Counseling, Social Work & Marriage and Family Board. The cost for the workshops is $15 per CE credit.

Workshop Details:
Jennifer Ossege, Psy.D.

Evidence-Based Practices in Child Therapy

Presented by Joy McGhee, Psy.D. and Jennifer Ossege, Psy.D., Thursday April 21, 9a.m.-4:30p.m., 6 CE credits, cost: $90

Consumers, insurance companies and practitioners increasingly desire the use of proven, effective treatment interventions for their patients. This informative one-day workshop will define and examine a variety of Evidenced-Based Practices (EBP) as they apply to the treatment of children. The presenters will focus on the most commonly diagnosed Internalizing and Externalizing disorders, primarily Anxiety, Depression, ODD and ADHD, as well as treatment of trauma. Participants will gain increased knowledge of the current EBP literature as well as practical clinical skills and resources to utilize with clients.

Richard Sears, Psy.D.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

Presented by Richard Sears, Psy.D., Thursday May 12, 9 a.m.-4:30p.m., 6 CE credits, cost: $90

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is an 8-week, evidence-based program which combines mindfulness and cognitive therapy techniques for the prevention of stress, depression, and anxiety. Through lecture, discussion, and experiential exercises, this full-day workshop will cover the characteristics and components of mindfulness, the structure and the delivery of the MBCT program, discuss the constituents of a mindfulness-based approach to working with clients individually, and explore the role of mindfulness for the clinician.

The Role of Assessment in the Evidence-Based Practice of Psychology


Jennifer Scott, Psy.D.
Presented by Jennifer L. Scott, Psy.D., Friday June 10, 1:30-4:45p.m., 3 CE Credits, cost: $45

Evidence-Based practice (EBP) requires that psychologists integrate knowledge of the best available scientific evidence, clinical expertise, and patient preferences in the provision of psychological services. Though efforts in the past decade have emphasized evidence-based approaches to treatment, assessment strategies are an implicit part of any intervention plan. Psychologists need to employ empirically based measures to not only conduct a functional assessment of presenting problems prior to treatment, but to track treatment progress and evaluate treatment outcomes. This workshop will explore models for defining and implementing evidence-based assessment in the treatment of adult psychopathology and address emergent issues.

Those who attend this workshop and complete the Union Institute & University evaluation form will receive the specific CE credits as designated for each workshop. For further information or to register for the workshops please contact the Union Institute & University Continuing Education Program at (802) 254-0152 or email CE@myunion.edu.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

The Victor Gray Memorial Scholarship Continues to Grow

The Victor Gray Memorial Scholarship Fund was established by Union Institute & University (UI&U) President Roger H. Sublett in April 2010, to honor of the life and service of Victor Gray, colleague, friend, and mentor, who passed away on March 15, 2010. As both an admissions counselor and outreach coordinator for UI&U, Victor’s warmth and compassion toward his colleagues was easily matched by his genuine dedication and service to his community and Union’s students. His belief that education deeply impacts every individual, and the impression he made upon the lives of UI&U students – and his fellow workers – continues to be an inspiration, even now when we only have his memory.

Today, we’re pleased to announce that donations continued well after the initial campaign last year. As many in the community may know, Victor sat on the board of the Reds Community Fund, a philanthropic arm of the Cincinnati Reds that provides outreach and support to the local community, particularly to struggling youth. In memory of Victor’s service, the Reds Community Fund and the Castellini Foundation each contributed a generous $1,500 to the fund, matching the donations from staff, faculty, and friends. As of today, the university has raised a total of $6,463.83 for the Victor Gray Memorial Scholarship Fund in support of enrollment at the Cincinnati undergraduate center.

We are proud to say that efforts are ongoing to grow Victor’s scholarship fund. The UI&U Activities Committee, which contributed $500 last year, has made the fund the beneficiary of many staff and faculty fundraisers and contests throughout the current year. The university will continue to seek external community support, as well, to sustain the fund and to increase the number of scholarships possible.

To make a donation to the Victor Gray Memorial Scholarship Fund, please contact Sara Litwiller at sara.litwiller@myunion.edu or simply use the secure Online Gift Form. The university hopes to offer this award annually, but will need the support of our community to make this possible.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

UI&U Announces U.S. National Guard and Reserves Scholarship

CINCINNATI – In keeping with its mission to make higher education opportunities accessible to all, Union Institute & University (UI&U) today announced that it will offer a scholarship to assist members of the U.S. National Guard and Reserve components of the U.S. military.

Scholarship recipients will receive a 10 percent tuition scholarship for the first 26 hours registered in undergraduate studies and a five percent tuition scholarship if enrolled in a graduate program. In addition, the final four-hour credit course will be free.

“The scholarship allows Union to give back to those who bravely and selflessly serve our country,” said Dr. Roger H. Sublett, president of the private, non-profit university. “Union is committed to help our students lead exemplary lives as servant leaders in their communities. Servicemen and women emulate the commitment to servant leadership every day. We are honored to provide them with this scholarship opportunity in appreciation of their dedication to our nation, and with hopes that they will use their Union education to continue to make the world a better, safer place.”

UI&U will waive the application fee, and may be able to accept transfer credits from other higher education institutions. To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be accepted and enrolled fulltime in a program at UI&U and must maintain good academic standing through graduation.

The scholarship may be used in conjunction with Guard/Reserve Tuition Reimbursement, employer tuition reimbursement, or state and federal grants, the combination of which is not to exceed the total cost of tuition, books, and fees to the guardsman or reservists.

For more information about the scholarship contact P. Neal Meier, LtCol USMC (Ret), Ph.D., UI&U veterans and military affairs officer and director of Advancement and Alumni Relations at 802-828-8837 or at neal.meier@myunion.edu.

Friday, March 11, 2011

UI&U's Florida Academic Center Hosts Info Session for Public School Employees

Info sessions are designed to help non-licensed Miami-Dade and Broward County
employees improve their credentials to become teachers

NORTH MIAMI BEACH, FL – Union Institute & University (UI&U), a private, non-profit university located in North Miami Beach will host two upcoming information sessions for non-licensed school employees seeking transition into the teaching profession. The sessions, March 15 and 16, will be held at UI&U’s North Miami Beach Academic Center located at 16853 N.E. 2nd Ave, Suite 102.

The sessions come during a time of proposed cuts in education by newly elected Florida Governor Rick Scott that will affect many public school employees. “These proposed cuts may have a significant impact on non-instructional staff in particular, who are mostly non-degreed employees of the school system,” said UI&U professor Frank Scala who serves as chair of center’s education programs and will conduct the second information session. “In times such as these, earning a degree and pursuing a teaching position will be to their benefit.”

The first information session, Education Insights 2011: Educating in an Evolving World, moderated by Dr. Thomas Frederick, will begin at 11 a.m., March 15. In this session, Dr. Frederick, who serves as principal of North Glades Elementary School in Miami, and as faculty advisor for UI&U, will explain why now is the time for school employees to upgrade from non-instructional to instructional status in the Miami-Dade and Broward County School districts.

The second information session, Balancing Your Budget: Funding Your College Education in a Difficult Economy, led by Scala, who has served as superintendent of schools and principal in Kingston, New Hampshire, will be held at 11 a.m. March 16. In this session, participants will learn about various financial aid options available to fund their college education. In addition, a UI&U learner services coordinator will be available to answer questions.

Both sessions are free and open to the public. For more information about the sessions, contact Francis Francois, director of admissions, at francis.francois@myunion.edu, or Frank Scala at frank.scala@myunion.edu, or call 305-653-7141.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

UI&U's Brattleboro Center Hosts Poetry Reading March 26

Union Institute & University’s Brattleboro Academic Center will host a poetry reading with Susan Berlin along with UI&U graduates Vince Cioffi and Ben Mitchell, Saturday, March 26th, from 3-4 p.m. at the Brattleboro Academic Center located at 3 University Way. Since its inception, UI&U's low residency BA program has produced generations of award-winning writers.

Susan Berlin
Susan Berlin’s poems have been featured in publications including Alaska Quarterly Review, Asheville Poetry Review, Atlanta Review, Harvard Review and Ploughshares. A five-time nominee for the Pushcart Prize, she was recently awarded First Prize by the Rhode Island Council on the Arts in the Galway Kinnell 16th Poetry Competition and was named International Publication Prize Winner in the Atlanta Review 2006 International Poetry Competition.

A 1996 graduate of the BA program, Vince Cioffi was the 1999 winner of the Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University. He has published two books through March Street Press and has his work has also been published in magazines including Ploughshares and the Alaska Quarterly Review. 
Ben Mitchell

A 1995 graduate of the UI&U’s BA program, Ben Mitchell is now an affiliated faculty member. Mitchell has published poems in magazines throughout the United States including The Cold Mountain Review, Studio One and The Cherry Blossom Review. His first book, Only The Sound Itself, was published in 2010 by Cod Hill Press.

For more information about the poetry reading or UI&U's BA programs, contact the Brattleboro Center at 257-9411 or email brattleborocenter@myunion.edu.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Meet UI&U's New Site Coordinators for the California Centers

 
CINCINNATI/LOS ANGELES - To support its growing criminal justice management programs, Union Institute & University’s Los Angeles and Sacramento Academic Centers have hired several site coordinators for new CJM sites in San Mateo County, Stanislaus County, Orange County, San Bernardino, and the Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.

Sergeant Glenn Paul Cadwell in his office
California’s newest hires have extensive backgrounds in criminal justice management. Dr. Beth Pastores-Palffy, Dean of the Califonia Centers, said that each of them will contribute significantly to bringing the sites to the attention of the law enforcement community and to providing exemplary service to our learners in those remote areas.

“The site coordinators, faculty, and our learners are excited to have the opportunity to participate in the CJM program at the sites,” said Dr. Pastores-Palffy. “The site coordinators are fully committed to seeing their fellow law enforcement officers obtain that elusive undergraduate degree. It has been a great pleasure working with them. I appreciate them for helping get the sites off the ground and looking forward to their help in making them flourish.”

Meet the new California CJM Site Coordinators:



Sergeant Glenn Paul Cadwell
Site Coordinator Stanislaus County
   
Sergeant Glenn Paul Cadwell currently serves with the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department. In his role as a sheriff he supervises a staff of 35 law enforcement personnel, is responsible for overall courthouse security, and supervises the Hostage Negotiation Team. He is also an adjunct professor at Kaplan College and Modesto Junior College where he teaches a variety of courses including community relations, patrol procedures, and juvenile law and procedures. He earned his BA in criminal justice management from UI&U and is currently enrolled in a master’s program at the University of Phoenix.

Sergeant William J. McGovern
Site Coordinator Orange County

Sergeant William J. McGovern is a 24-year member of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. He currently serves as the Supervisor of the OCSD Motor Unit and is assigned to the City of Mission Viejo. He manages the day to day operations of the City’s traffic enforcement detail which serves a population of over 100,000 residents and is responsible for the ongoing training of the Department’s 30 Motorcycle Deputies who provide traffic enforcement in 10 different contract cities in Orange County. As a collateral duty, Sergeant McGovern served as both a Deputy and Sergeant on the Mounted Enforcement Unit (Equestrian) and Major Accident Reconstruction Team for over 14 years.

Sergeant McGovern holds a BA in economics from UC Irvine and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix . He is a graduate of California’s POST Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute.


Robert Browne

Robert Browne, retired lieutenant
Site Coordinator for San Bernardino County

Robert Browne served 28 years in law enforcement for the City of Covina Police Department. For more than 15 years he served as a lieutenant City of Covina Police Department and during his tenure supervised the detective bureau, and was three times acting captain of both the field services and administrative division. He also worked as a jail supervisor and as a department training officer. The U.S. Navy veteran also served as a police sergeant for the City of Covina and as a field agent. In this role, he worked closely with the Los Angeles County Crime Lab and the L.A. District Attorney in the investigation, filing of criminal complaints and the conviction of perpetrators. Browne retired with the rank of lieutenant. He holds bachelor degree in public administration from the University of La Verne.

Debra Kirk, retired lieutenant
Debra Kirk
Site Coordinator-Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties

Kirk is a 20-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) where she worked a variety of assignments including patrol operations, investigations, Internal Affairs and the Police Commission. During her career she held the ranks of police officer, detective, sergeant and lieutenant. She earned a BA in criminal justice from Union Institute & University in 1996. She resides in Castaic, CA with her husband, a career LAPD sergeant.