Dr. Nelson Soto named Provost & VP Academic Affairs

Nelson Soto, Ph.D.

CINCINNATI, OH – Union Institute & University President Roger H. Sublett announced the appointment of Nelson Soto, Ph.D. as provost and vice president for academic affairs. Dr. Soto will provide leadership to assure the quality of the university’s academic programs, advancing the university’s mission of engaging, enlightening and empowering students, and continuing development of enrollment. Dr. Soto replaces Dr. Richard S. Hansen who retired in January 2013 after serving for eight years.

Dr. Soto comes to Union Institute & University from Harrison College, Indianapolis, where he served as associate provost and vice president for curriculum and instruction since 2010. Prior to Harrison College, he served as an assistant dean in the graduate office at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) from 2008 to 2010 and as an instructional development specialist at IUPUI’s Center for Teaching and Learning from 2005 to 2008. Dr. Soto has served as faculty at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis in the School of Education; at Indiana University, College of Arts and Sciences; University of Missouri-Columbia, College of Education; and the University of Cincinnati, University College.

In announcing the appointment, Dr. Sublett said, “Dr. Soto comes to Union at an important moment in the university’s history. As we prepare to celebrate 50 years in 2014, he brings a renewed sense of the visionary and entrepreneurial perspective held by our founders when they sought to create a new university in 1964.” Dr. Sublett continued, “Nelson will help us all to solidify our unique university’s distinctions, and to provide rigorous academic programs, complete with the appropriate technology and skill sets that fit the lifestyles of today’s adults –students from across a wide spectrum of cultures and identities who balance education, career, and community responsibilities in a changing environment.”

Dr. Sublett also noted that Dr. Soto will play a pivotal role in the life of the university, its administration, and its students. This position addresses the needs of a diverse adult student population across all levels of baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral programs. With oversight for all aspects of academic programs, policies, strategies and initiatives, as well as the accreditation process and continuing assessment for the university, Dr. Soto will work collaboratively with constituents across the spectrum to ensure the advancement and strength of the entire institution.

Dr. Soto holds a Ph.D. in educational policy studies from Indiana University, Bloomington, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Cincinnati. His dissertation research focused on teachers’ perceptions and beliefs of Latino middle school immigrants, particularly rural communities that witnessed an increase in Latino immigrants within the past decade.

He has focused on access and retention, faculty and organizational development, administration of programs for marginalized student populations, creating and fostering internal and external relationships, and assessment. As the campus director for the National Science Foundation, Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate at IUPUI, he managed the federal grant, while developing and fostering relationships with Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He also was responsible for promoting teaching excellence among faculty through consultations, course design, and facilitation of workshops on best practices in teaching and student learning.

A founder of the Multicultural Teaching and Learning Institute at IUPUI, he created a forum for faculty members to promote multicultural content in teaching and curriculum, including multicultural course transformation and serving students with disabilities. He was also charged with enhancing minority attainment diversity, and served on the Diversity Assessment Team, promoting multicultural course transformation within the School of Education curriculum.

Dr. Soto has served on several boards, including Harvard Business Publishing Advisory Board, Cengage Private Sector Advisory Board, Pearson Service Learning Board, and was chair of the Harrison College Military Advisory Board. He has received numerous grants for his research and efforts, including from the Office for Professional Development, Research Grant ($20,000), the Alliance for Graduate Education and Professoriate Dissertation Grant, a Professional and Organizational Development Network Grant, and the Maris M. Proffitt and Mary Higgins Proffitt Fellowship at Indiana University.

Dr. Soto has also served as a program coordinator of the McNair Scholars Program at the University of Missouri-Columbia; and a graduate coordinator of ethnic programs and services and judicial affairs at the University of Cincinnati.

Undergraduate Spring/Summer Seminars 2013

Full term session: May 6 - August 25
Begins in CampusWeb May 6

LSTU 490: Culminating Study 
Faculty: To be determined
12 credits

This online culminating term will meet in an “initial residency” starting on April 30 to engage in preliminary study exploration with faculty in their area of concentration and to receive information/instruction on how culminating studies work.  Students will be paired with a professor with whom to work on the study.  Culminators will meet as a group on a regular basis to report on progress and share their work with the group.  At term’s end, final presentations will be posted on this site and discussed among all students and their faculty advisors.

This seminar and the culminating study run for 16 weeks, over both summer sessions.

Session 1: May 6 - June 29

Hybrid Seminar: Brattleboro, VT
Begins in CampusWeb May 6
Meet for 6 hours on Saturdays (3 Saturdays)

LSTU 341: Literacy in the Public Schools 
Degree Criterion: Education (required of teacher licensure students)
Faculty: Nancy Reid

This seminar will focus on the guiding question: As a classroom or community, how can we create enthusiastic and skillful readers? Students will delve into the many issues and controversies surrounding literacy instruction in our K-12 schools and communities. (Literacy here is defined as reading, writing and spelling.) Students will learn about the various theories, controversies and possibilities related to literacy instruction in K-12 schools. For those who are Teacher Licensure students, this seminar will address the English Language Arts knowledge and performance standard for Vermont educators, which includes, “knowledge of research-based principles and processes underlying literacy development...”


Online Seminars 
Begin in CampusWeb May 6

LSTU 316: The World of Words and Ideas
Faculty: Linda Gray
B.A. Degree Criteria: Humanities and Social Science
B.S. General Education: Arts/Humanities

You can see where you want to be, but you are not certain how to get there.  You have honored your goals and your future by taking the first step, but the path ahead seems formidable. This seminar is for you if you want to obtain your undergraduate degree and exercise leadership in fields that are important to you.

In this seminar you will wrestle with ideas about social justice and ethical responsibility, meaning versus representation, culture and society.  You will examine the qualities of leadership, and learn what it means to “lead from behind.” You will also engage with other students as you begin to write more persuasive essays and brush up on MLA and APA citation skills. We will explore the structure and responsibilities of a college degree, and offer tips about how to produce your best written work.  Through readings, writings and online discussion, we will address the four core principles of scholarship at Union Institute & University:
• Communication: Express and interpret ideas clearly, using a variety of written, oral and/or visual forms.
• Critical & Creative Thinking: Use different modes of disciplinary and interdisciplinary inquiry to explore ideas and issues from multiple perspectives.
• Ethical & Social Responsibility: Express ethical & social implications in one’s social, professional, artistic and/or scholarly practice.
• Social & Global Perspectives: Articulate a perspective on power in the world and one’s own place in the global community.

Students in this seminar will learn how to navigate CampusWeb.  They will have full access to the UI&U library, films, e-books, scholarly articles and TED lectures.  Free services of the Union Institute & University’s Writing Center will be available.  In short, we will learn about ideas and each other as we journey through the world of online learning.

LSTU 328: Buddhism and Psychology
B.A. Degree Criteria: Psychology & Ethical/Moral/Spiritual Concerns
B.S. General Education: Social & Behavioral Sciences or Arts/Humanities
Faculty: Stella Marrie

In recent years, the contemplative traditions of Asia have influenced Western psychology’s understanding of the mind.  This seminar will explore this cross-fertilization of ideas about human development and psychological healing.  We will focus specifically on Buddhist psychology and its relationship to Western approaches to psychotherapy.  How does Buddhist psychology understand human suffering and what are the implications for psychological healing related to this understanding?  What is the influence of Western conceptions of self and identity on this emerging approach to personal and spiritual development?  In addition to these questions, we will explore new secular approaches to mindfulness training and the empirical research that supports these therapeutic approaches.

LSTU 333: Writing with Heart and Mind  
B.A. Degree Criterion: Writing
B.S. General Education:  English Composition or Arts/Humanities
Faculty: Geof Hewitt

Writing is a key component of study in the B.A. Program, yet all too often students feel blocked, intimidated, or otherwise anxious about writing.  This seminar is for students who want to explore the writing process, find their writing voice, and hone writing skills.  Participants may focus on memoir, poetry, essays, annotations, fiction, any form of journalism, or a combination of genres.  Our goal is for each student to find and exercise his/her “voice” in the genre(s) of choice, and to have an increased awareness of his/her own writing process and the technical and mechanical aspects of writing.

LSTU 338:  Qualifying Portfolio Development
(Open to Teacher Licensure students only)
Faculty: Nancy Reid

This seminar is self-designed and customized for students who need to meet additional requirements to become licensed to teach in one of the five endorsement areas.

LSTU 358: Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counseling
B.A. Degree Criterion: Psychology (required seminar for Addiction Studies specialty)
B.S. General Education: Social & Behavioral Sciences
Faculty: Patricia Burke

In this seminar students will explore the psychological theories of counseling most prominent in substance abuse treatment including the Stages of Change, Motivational Interviewing, and Cognitive Behavioral Counseling approaches. Students will engage in experiential learning activities such as video or audio taped role plays with a focus on developing specific counseling skills based on these theories. This seminar is required for all students in the Addiction Studies specialization, but is open to anyone who wants to learn the theory and practice of alcohol and drug abuse counseling.

LSTU 372: Sex, Gender and Love: A Biological View
B.A. Academic Areas: Science & Statistics 
B.S. General Education: Natural Science or Math/Statistics
Faculty: Sue Cobb

This seminar has two components, biology and statistics, which will run concurrently, but mostly independently. The biology component will cover, first, the evolution of sexual reproduction, attempting to answer questions such as, “How did sexual reproduction evolve?” and “What good is it?” Then we’ll move on to the very interesting question of human sex and gender. We think of humans as being either male or female, and mostly this is true. Our attempt to find out what  differences might exist between males and females, other than those physical markers in our genitalia, has been a messier path; and we’ll explore research into sex differences from physiological and neuroscience perspectives. Through Fausto-Sterling’s Sexing the Body, we’ll shake up conceptions of only two sexes.  For love, we’ll look at the neuroscience of attraction and attachment, and at evolutionary psychology’s approach to the evolution of human mating strategies.

In addition to regular participation in discussion, students will engage with 6-8 academic resources and write a minimum of 16 pages of academic writing.

Session 2: June 30 - August 25
Online Seminars
Begin in CampusWeb June 25

LSTU 347: What Shall We Eat? Controversies in Food & Nutrition and How to Make Sense of the Evidence
B.A. Degree Criteria: Science/Math & Contemporary Culture
B.S. General Education: Natural Sciences or Math/Statistics
Faculty: Sue Cobb

We’ve all heard the saying, “You are what you eat,” which has recently been joined with the idea that the source of the food is important.  In this seminar we will look at both aspects of American food habits: nutrition, and agricultural practice -- reading books from contrasting perspectives to examine the way authors use evidence and authority to make their arguments. For example, students will read both a traditional nutritional science perspective and a critical alternative perspective. They will track and analyze their own diet, utilizing both perspectives and drawing their own conclusions. For agricultural practice, we will read books promoting and critiquing the current local food movement and students will develop a point of view on industrial agriculture practices and the global production and transport of food and consider the alternatives. To add to critical understanding, students will complete a unit on statistics, working through the first half of a reader-friendly statistics book and reading about the ways statistics are used and abused.

LSTU 555: Art and Irreverence
B.A. Degree Criteria: Art and History/Art History
B.S. Gen Ed: Arts/Humanities
Faculty: Lucinda Bliss

This seminar explores artistic movements in which artists rebelled against the status quo with playful and irreverent creative practice. We will look at the early twentieth century Dada movement, Fluxus "happenings" of the 1960s, and Street Art from the 1990s, as well as considering contemporary artists who have carried these traditions into the present. Studio work in the seminar will include drawing, collage, photomontage, and assemblage, and will be inspired by the work of artists such as Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst, Hannah Hoch, Allan Kaprow, Yoko Ono, Mark Bradford,and Margaret Kilgallen, among others. This seminar is designed for students with all levels of artistic and academic ability.

LSTU 356: Drawing as Awareness
B.A. Degree Criteria: Art & Ethical/Moral/Spiritual Concerns
B.S. General Education: Arts/Humanities
Faculty: Sarah Sutro

Drawing is a way of knowing ourselves, of finding out what we believe, of really seeing. In contemporary art, reference is made to “art practice” -- a phrase which borrows language from Asian traditions, where art is a form of disciplined spirituality. In this seminar we will explore several ways of approaching drawing, from literal description of everyday reality, to working from chosen photographs, to inventing our own personal perspective.  All these require awareness. Through a series of exercises and drawing problems students will develop a relationship to line, shade, texture, and tone using a choice of several mediums such as pencil, charcoal, ink, wash, and conte crayon. Come to this course prepared to draw, write and think.
This seminar is appropriate for students with all levels of artistic ability and experience.

LSTU 362: Comparative Mysticism
B.A. Degree Criteria: Ethical/Moral/Spiritual Concerns & Literature
B.S. General Education: Arts/Humanities
Faculty: Ben Mitchell

Have you ever been stopped breathless by the sunset? Did you ever hear the phone ring and know instantly who was on the other end? Have you ever been listening to the forest when suddenly the sound of the leaves breathing overwhelms the call of the peepers? As humans we are surrounded by the mystery of life. We coin words like wonder, astonishment, even joy and ecstasy to describe the overwhelming feeling of life, but words are inevitably poor tools. Webster’s defines Mysticism as: “the experience of mystical union or direct communion with the ultimate reality.” Comparative Mysticism will compare mystical literature from seven major religions, in an effort to explore how people from all over the world, throughout time have sought to comprehend this mystery.

This seminar will read primary sources from Hinduism and Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Taoism and even Native American Shamanism. This seminar will examine the following question: are there any unifying principals that bind the major world religions together?

LSTU 370: Neurobiology of Addiction
B.A. Degree Criteria: Psychology & Science
B.S. General Education: Natural Sciences or Social and Behavioral Sciences
Faculty: Jody McGrath

In the past two decades, there have been astonishing advances in our understanding of the neurobiological basis and nature of drug addiction. We now know the initial molecular sites of action, at identified receptors, of virtually all of the major drugs of abuse including cocaine, heroin, and amphetamine, as well as legal drugs such as nicotine and alcohol. We also understand the main components of a “reward system” and its connections to major brain regions involved in motivation and emotion, such as the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex.

This seminar will acquaint students with basic anatomy and physiology of the nervous system and neurons, with synaptic transmission and transmitters, and with a variety of drugs and their effects on the body/mind of individuals.

LSTU 371: Alternative Healing Systems
B.A. Degree Criteria: Health & Psychology/Holistic Studies
B.S. General Education: Social & Behavioral Sciences or Natural Sciences
Faculty: Laurette Brady

The primary work of the seminar will be an exploration of a significant set of alternative healing modalities currently in practice in the U.S.  The philosophic bases, principles and methodologies of each will be examined, followed by a review of research on outcomes and efficacy.  Students will begin with a directed study of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Herbalism, and the Relaxation Response, and then select a particular healing system, taken from a broad list supplied by the instructor, to study further. For their chosen healing system, they will conduct a review of current research and develop a description and assessment report, considering overall merit and best use of the healing mode. Results will be shared in a final forum with all students sharing their conclusions and discussing findings.

LSTU 379: Sanity/Insanity: Who Decides?
B.A. Degree Criteria: Psychology, Sociology 
B.S. General Education: Social & Behavioral Sciences 
Faculty: Maida Solomon

The fundamental goal in this seminar is to explore how differing dynamics have influenced concepts of sanity/insanity.  By making more visible cultural and psychological variables, perhaps we will better be able to separate social myth from urgent need.  We will read works from the twentieth century to the present.

How has sanity or insanity been defined and for what ends?  Are the consequences the same for everyone?  Do gender or other cultural components play a role?  What quality or characteristic might be considered normal for some and abnormal for others?  How do media portray people in ways relevant to mental health or diagnosis?  This seminar will explore selected readings, films, media and current diagnostic tools as we pull apart layers of frameworks so as to perceive better the naming of mental illness.
This seminar is open to any student.

LSTU 380: From Stone Tablets to Twitter: A Social History of Communication
B.A. Degree Criteria: History, Culture
B.S. Social and Behavioral Sciences
Faculty Heather McCollum

The last few decades have brought us an astonishing array of technological changes, particularly in the ways people gather information and communicate with each other.  In an effort to understand the meaning of the “information age,” this seminar will examine other moments in history when new technologies have had significant cultural, political, and economic consequences.  We’ll investigate the origins and implications of “new” media (e.g., the alphabet, printing press, telegraph, photograph, radio, television, internet) and consider how each has prompted new hopes for world peace along with fears for the imminent decline of civilization. With this foundation in mind, we’ll ask ourselves: Are the new digital tools undermining democracy or enhancing it?  Making us safer or less secure?  Increasing access to cultural diversity or creating more cultural uniformity?   Helping to shape a more sustainable future or further harming the environment?  Do we control technology, or does it control us? We’ll draw on historical evidence and our own experience to engage with these important questions.

Find out more information on our Undergraduate programs.

MAP Program Approved for Placement of Interns in NY

Union's Master of Arts with a Concentration in Counseling Psychology program (MAP) is pleased to announce that on Wednesday, April 3, 2013, the New York State Education Department approved the placement of Counseling Psychology students in authorized New York State internship settings.

Union has received many inquiries from prospective students residing in New York who are interested in attending the MAP program, and this approval will support their enrollment.  Associate Dean, Jerry Fishman adds “With New York state located next to Vermont, many interested students from New York will be able now to enroll with confidence in a NBCC-and CAMPP-approved program in counseling psychology.  The need for Licensed Mental Health Counselors is high in New York, and this hybrid program will offer candidates quality education and approved local internships.” 

Learn more about Union Institute & University's Master of Arts with a Concentration in Counseling Psychology program.

Upcoming Library Workshops

Learn how Union’s online resources can work for you!

Union Institute & University’s library is completely online and provides access to a growing collection including:

• 50,000 + electronic full-text periodicals via 150+ online licensed research databases
• 150,000 + e-books
• 1,000,000 + doctoral dissertations from colleges and universities worldwide
• 5,000 dissertations produced by UI&U students

Learn how to navigate and use this extensive online collection at our April and May Library Workshops. These informative sessions are open to the Union community including faculty, students and staff. To sign up, visit Upcoming Workshops in the online Library Help Center. Attendees will receive a confirmation email with the meeting details after registering.

Library Orientation

• Thursday, April 4 | 7:00-8:00pm EST/4:00-5:00pm PST
• Thursday, May 16 | 6:00-6:50pm EST/3:00-3:50pm PST

This online workshop provides a basic introduction to the multiple resources and services provided by the UI&U Library, followed by a tour of the library website. This session is highly recommended for new users, those unfamiliar with online databases, and those looking for a quick library refresher.

Basic Research Skills

• Thursday, April 4 | 5:00-5:50pm EST/2-2:50 PST
• Thursday, May 2 | 7:00-8:00pm EST/4:00-5:00pm PST

The UI&U Library contains millions of resources—including 130,000+ e-books—that are available for free to the UI&U community. While the seemingly endless supply of information may seem overwhelming, this online workshop will demonstrate how to easily navigate our catalog and various databases so that you can locate exactly what you need for your assignments. Dissertation, article, and e-book searches will be touched upon. Recommended for anyone looking to increase their research skills and/or familiarize themselves with the UI&U Library website.

Advanced Research Skills

• Thursday, April 4 | 6-6:50:00pm EST/3:00-3:50pm PST
• Thursday, May 16 | 7:00-8:00pm EST/4:00-5:00pm PST 

This online workshop for experienced researchers will explore simultaneous database searches, reverse-citation searches, database alerts, search design, and other research strategies. This session is recommended for those who have completed “Basic Research Skills,” or those with previous online research experience.

Faculty Collection Development

• Thursday, May 2 | 6-6:50:00pm EST/3:00-3:50pm PST 

The UI&U Library believes that faculty participation is an essential component of library collection development. We invite you to help us by recommending specific e-books for purchase. This online workshop will demonstrate the various collection development resources available, including Choice Reviews Online, Ulrich's Periodical Directory, and the ebrary Title Preview website. Presentation content will focus on faculty needs, but staff and students are also welcome to register.

APA, Chicago & MLA Citations Made Simple

• Thursday, May 30 | 7:00-8:00pm EST/4:00-5:00pm PST 

The UI&U Library provides resources to help you to create, format, and manage bibliographies, citations, footnotes, and endnotes. This online workshop for new and experienced researchers will demonstrate the three citation formatting tools available in the UI&U Library: WorldCat, RefWorks, and Zotero. We'll also visit the APA, MLA, and Chicago style pages.

The Consequences of Plagiarism

Provided by the University of Texas, Perry Castaneda Library

Whether intentional or unintentional, plagiarism can lead to serious consequences. Let's look at some real-life examples of people who had their professional or academic lives seriously affected by accusations of plagiarism.

In 2006, first-time author and Harvard sophomore Kaavya Viswanathan acknowledged that she plagiarized portions of her novel How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got a Life from several other sources, including the works of authors Sophie Kinsella and Megan McCafferty. The book was pulled from shelves and the author lost both a two-book deal with Little, Brown and Company worth half a million dollars and a movie deal with DreamWorks. Viswanathan acknowledged that she had read the books that she was accused of plagiarizing, but claimed that the cases of plagiarism found in her book were unintentional and accidental.

In 2005, Thomas Matrka, a mechanical engineer who had earned his master's degree from Ohio University uncovered 55 master's theses from the school's Russ College of Engineering and Technology that appeared to include plagiarized work. Many of the theses contained almost identical paragraphs and drawings. The university responded by revisiting more than 200 engineering papers written since 1980 in search of duplication and plagiarism. After review by multiple university committees, the decision was made to revoke the master's degree of one of the accused in 2007. The university also recommended that 12 other theses be rewritten. In response to the scandal, the engineering school now uses software to check submitted theses and dissertation for duplication of content.

In 2004, playwright Bryony Lavery was accused of plagiarizing psychiatrist Dorothy Lewis' book Guilty by Reason of Insanity and Malcolm Gladwell's 1997 New Yorker profile of Lewis. Lavery's play, Frozen, is the story of a psychiatrist who works with serial killers. Dorothy Lewis' book chronicles her own work with serial killers. Malcolm Gladwell himself recounted the story in a 2004 New Yorker article where he details his confrontation with the playwright, who said she didn't think she needed to credit his story because it was "in the news." The play includes 12 verbatim passages from Malcolm Gladwell's article. While the play uses Dorothy Lewis' life as the basis for its character, it also adds embellishments, like an affair with a collaborator modeled on Lewis' real-life collaborator. These embellishments caused many to claim that the plagiarism was also a form of defamation.

Each of these stories can help us to understand why you should care about the effects and consequences of plagiarism.

Your individual professional and academic integrity are at stake. While there are certain to be immediate consequences tied to accusations of plagiarism, such as failing a course, you are also devaluing your original work and bringing into question the legitimacy of your other accomplishments.

The academic integrity of your school and the value of your degree are also at stake. Widespread accusations of plagiarism at a university hurt the reputation of that school and its graduates and can affect the value of your degree from that institution in the marketplace when you are looking for a job after graduation.

Your future professional and personal integrity can also be harmed. As the Ohio University story shows us, plagiarized work you submit now can come back to haunt you. Additionally, once you've graduated and entered the workforce, there can be legal and long-lasting professional consequences for representing the work of others as your own in a situation where you're being financially compensated for that work.

For information on Union Institute & University Writing Center.

The Consequences of Plagiarism article is property of the University of Texas, Perry Castaneda Library and is used by UI&U with written permission.