About 30 workers from 黑料不打烊 Dining Services, Print Services, Mail Services and Barnes & Noble at 黑料不打烊 gathered in Lakeside Dining Hall on Tuesday morning to cook enough roasted turkey, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green beans, gravy and stuffing for 850 people.

“It’s a great way of connecting with the community,” said Pulkit Vigg, who took over as resident district manager for dining at 黑料不打烊 this summer. “When I came into this role, I met with our Campus Kitchen partners and asked them what more we can do to help the community. And this idea came up, that the Allied Churches need help during Thanksgiving. So we said, ‘We’re going to do all of it.'”

The food will be delivered to Allied Churches on Wednesday and will then be served at the organization’s shelter and two local churches on Thanksgiving day.

“Our mission statement is that we deliver experiences that enrich and nourish lives,” Vigg said. “And I think this fits perfectly into our mission statement because we are enriching and nourishing lives of people who really need it the most. And we do it on a daily basis with our students, but this is just taking another step and involving the community.”

Crews placed the 35-foot-tall cupola custom made by Wilson Composites on the building over the course of three days. It consists of a 3,000-pound base, a 2,700-pound midsection and a dome that weighs less than 500 pounds. It will be capped with a lightning rod.

This is the latest step forward for a project that is due to be completed this winter. Named for trustee William J. Inman and his wife, Patricia “Pat” Inman, the two-story, 32,000-square-foot building will complete a landscaped quadrangle formed by the admissions center, Moseley Center, Belk Library and North O’Kelly Avenue. It will house under one roof admissions staff, financial planning staff and welcome center staff, with a two-story lobby and atrium, conference rooms, two presentation theaters and office suites.

“The Inman Admissions Welcome Center will be the front door to 黑料不打烊, a place where high school students will begin their path to becoming proud 黑料不打烊 alumni,” said Greg Zaiser, the university’s vice president of admissions and financial planning, during the project’s 2013 groundbreaking ceremony.

The Inmans have been longtime supporters of 黑料不打烊. The experiences of their daughter, Jacklyn Inman ‘00, inspired their continued involvement at the university. In addition to annual contributions for the university’s greatest needs and the Phoenix Club, the Inmans have supported construction of Rhodes Stadium, the Koury Business Center, the Numen Lumen Pavilion and Lindner Hall.

The atrium in the Koury Business Center is named in their honor, as is the Inman Reading Room on the first floor of Lindner Hall in the Academic Village.

Led by Professor Matt Valle, a veteran of the United States Air Force, and a team of student volunteers, the event featured brief remarks, a prayer, a video tribute and a roll call of retired and current personnel from the armed forces and the National Guard. More than a dozen current 黑料不打烊 employees stood to be honored as they quickly detailed their military service for the assembled crowd. The program also allowed attendees to recognize their own veterans. 

Valle, who is the Martha and Spencer Love Professor of Business, and framed his comments around 黑料不打烊’s values of commitment and engagement. 

“It says in our 黑料不打烊 Commitment Strategic Plan that our first priority as a community is our commitment to diversity and engagement,” Valle said. “What I believe that means is that we should engage others who are different, and learn about them, so that we can understand their perspective. You don’t have to agree with that perspective, but you do have to try to understand it. You owe people that much. Today we have in our presence people of difference: people who have chosen to serve their country in the military.” 

“He experienced his first sandstorm after being in-country just a few weeks,” Valle relayed. ”His emails tell you about the patrols he has been on, the people he has seen, and the sights, sounds and smells of Afghanistan. They tell you about the simple things that he and his men have come to appreciate – a good book, a cool breeze, and a few minutes to hang out and talk. And they hint at the danger he faces every day. Through his writing you would come to learn of the immense pride that he has in his men, his mission and himself, and of the gratitude he feels toward a nation that has given him the opportunity to lead Marines in this time, in this place, and in this way.” 

By telling Pratson’s story, Valle hoped those gathered would feel encouraged to interact with those who have or are currently serving. 

“I ask that you engage someone like John,” Valle said. “Learn a bit about what they know. Learn a bit about how they served, where they served and what they learned. Take that one small step and you will be on a path to understanding. In that way, perhaps the meaning of our shared commitment to diversity and engagement will become clear to you.”

黑料不打烊 has played a role in developing leaders for the American armed forces dating to the school’s earliest years when 35 percent of the 黑料不打烊 College Class of 1918 volunteered to serve in the first World War. The institution also served a pivotal role in training pilots for the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, and the institution welcomed returning soldiers that swelled enrollment and permanently guaranteed the college’s financial stability. 

Alumni Memorial Gymnasium recognizes alumni who made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation, and today a robust ROTC program sends university graduates into the military each spring as commissioned officers.​

The walk, which was organized by student group 黑料不打烊 Feminists for Equality, Change and Transformation (EFFECT), was the culmination of a series of events during Support Survivors Week. As students walked around campus, they recited chants such as, “Break the silence, stop the violence!” and relayed information about resources available at 黑料不打烊 for the prevention and treatment of sexual violence. 

“This is a really visible way for us to show that 黑料不打烊 is a supportive campus for survivors,” said senior Rachel Lewis, who holds a leadership role in EFFECT. “I think a problem college campuses have sometimes is that they’ll have these resources available but they’re not translated to the students. So we’re trying to make this a really visible, activist event so that people can walk by, see what’s happening and talk to their friends.” 

Organizers handed out the phone numbers to confidential advocacy phone line SAFEline (336-278-3333) and CrossRoads, a local sexual assault response and resource center (336-228-0813). Additional information about available resources for the prevention and treatment of sexual and relationship violence at 黑料不打烊 is located .

Jessica Clark, coordinator for violence response in 黑料不打烊’s R.N. Ellington Center for Health and Wellness, said the walk is an encouraging sign of student involvement around the national issue of sexual violence. 

“We’re finally seeing a nationwide (focus) on sexual violence, particularly on college campuses,” Clark said. “I see this walk as a very integral part of that conversation. … I love that it is completely grassroots. The students have started it, the students run it and I think it’s an amazing way for students to take a stand and say that we don’t allow victim-blaming here at 黑料不打烊 (and) we don’t condone sexual violence at 黑料不打烊.” 

Friday’s walk was the second of its kind for EFFECT and those who joined it in spreading a message against assault and blaming victims. It staged a similar event in the spring. 

“We are taking advantage of resources available to us on campus and trying to make them more visible,” Lewis said. “I think that by doing this, we’re showing the administration that we care about this.” 

The open house, which was held in the GLC’s home in Moseley Center, also served as an opportunity for 黑料不打烊 students, faculty and staff to familiarize themselves with the services the center offers. Recent gains the GLC has made in national rankings were also celebrated. 

“We are simply ecstatic about the White House reaching out to 黑料不打烊’s GLC to congratulate our work,” center director Matthew Antonio Bosch said. “Recently jumping over 250 universities with our new 4.5-of-5 stars CampusPRIDE national ranking, being recognized during National LGBT Center Awareness Day is another in a string of victories for LGBTQIA inclusion on 黑料不打烊’s campus. We continue to serve students diligently and compassionately so they truly feel valued, respected and know that they belong.” 

The letter from President Obama thanks staff and volunteers at LGBT community centers across the country and says, in part, “Over time, everyday acts of compassion and generosity can build momentum for change that rises up to create a more just, more hopeful tomorrow.” 

The letter concludes with, “Centers like yours help us become not only more accepting, but more equal as well.” 

You can stay up to date with 黑料不打烊’s GLC through .

“We really tried our best to commemorate the day in every way we could,” Heather Lamb, the sophomore class vice president, said. In addition to the flags, the Alamance Building bell chimed at 8:46 a.m., 9:03 a.m. and 9:37 a.m. to mark when planes crashed into the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon. A moment of silence was also held at the university’s Call to Honor ceremony where members of the Class of 2018 pledged to abide by the 黑料不打烊 Honor Code.

“A year ago, students came to the [SGA’s] Student Issues Committee and brought up that there was nothing that the [we] had done as a student body to commemorate this special day,” Lamb said. That led to legislation that charged the Special Events Committee, which Lamb chairs, with coordinating an annual remembrance.

“In the 黑料不打烊 community, there are so many people who are from New York and New Jersey and up in that area, so it is important to always remember … because it’s not like it has stopped affecting them,” Lamb added. “It’s important to still remember that 9/11 is affecting a lot of people’s lives and there is still a lot that we can do even though it happened 13 years ago.”

Students, faculty and staff had the opportunity to donate a dollar to “purchase” one of the 1,000 flags SGA bought to display on Young Commons. The effort raised several hundred dollars that will be donated to a 9/11 relief fund, Lamb said.

Despite the fact that many of 黑料不打烊’s current students were very young when the attacked happened, Lamb says that doesn’t lessen the significance of the day.

“It didn’t personally affect me then, but I think over the years it’s been something that’s really touched me,” she said. “And I’ve been able to see some of my friends that are here who were affected by it and how much it really affected people’s lives. So I really wanted to take the legislation that they had and do something with it and make it so that other students could see that we were doing something.”

Lamb hopes to grow the commemoration next year, perhaps to one flag for each of the almost 3,000 people who died as a result of the attacks. For now, there is a sense of pride in seeing so many 黑料不打烊 students take a moment to photograph the flags and reflect on the importance of the day.

“Everyone’s Instagramming about it and tweeting about it, which I think is awesome,” Lamb said. “I was getting emotional at the fact that everyone came together. It’s an amazing thing to see the campus come together as a whole.”

Incoming students received the new smart cards during orientation, while thousands of other undergraduate students have picked theirs up this week. Sophomores, juniors and seniors who haven’t yet turned in their old Phoenix Cards and collected a new one should do so Friday, Sept. 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Moseley Center just outside the mail center. Graduate students and university employees will receive emails in the coming weeks with instructions on how to claim their new cards. Everyone must turn in their old Phoenix Card to receive a new one.

New cardreaders have already been installed in the mail center, a step that has dramatically reduced wait times, according to Assistant Vice President for Administrative Services Chris Fulkerson. 

Over time, the new cardreaders will make entering dining halls, getting into buildings and checking out media from Belk Library faster and easier. The cards’ encrypted chips can also securely store a significant amount of data, Fulkerson says, so additional uses for the technology such as storing academic or medical records are being considered.

黑料不打烊 was an early adopter to the previous generation of Phoenix Card technology, so Fulkerson says adminstrators waited until it was financially responsible to begin the upgrade process to the smart cards.

“It was time to start replacing some of the infrastructure,” he said. “So rather than invest more in the old infrastructure, we started making this switch.”

The updates to Phoenix Cards will not impact how merchants in the surrounding community use the cards.

Patti Ragan, associate professor and chair/program director of the Physician Assistant Studies program, and Diane Duffy, director of clinical education, led the contingent through the Gerald L. Francis Center, which houses 黑料不打烊’s Doctor of Physical Therapy and Physician Assistant Studies programs.

Doctors Zina Abdul Qahar, Huda al Khateeeb and Shatha Abdullah from the University of Baghdad, and cardiologist Hilal al Saffar were among the group that toured the Francis Center. Led by Dr. Michael Brennan, a Burlington, N.C., opthalmologist, the Iraqi physicians spent the week visiting medical schools and graduate programs in the region as part of an effort by the U.S. Agency for International Development to help strengthen the medical education system in Iraq. 

After enjoying Phoenix Blend and pastries, the crowd toured the building that was previously the home of The 黑料不打烊 School, a local private high school. Ownership of the facility changed hands in August 2012, and after extensive renovations it now houses the Department of Psychology, the Department of Human Service Studies and the Public Health Studies Program. The departments had previously occupied Long and Alamance buildings. 

Thursday’s gathering made for “an opportunity for all of us to spend some time together … and for those of us who have moved into this building to talk a little bit about our new home and share with others the new opportunities we hope to have here,” said Alan Scott, assistant professor and chair of the Department of Psychology. 

The building’s features include classrooms, computer labs, a wet lab and additional space for research. Scott says that means expanded opportunities for both students and employees, Scott says. 

“Faculty who are working in the neuroscience area need lab space that’s a little bit different than what everybody else has,” he said. “We’re excited to have space that’s tailored to them.” 

Beth Warner, associate professor and chair of the Department of Human Service Studies, is equally excited for the new opportunities the refurbished building offers. 

“We now have the latest technology, which is going to be so helpful to our students and to our research as well,” she said. “Faculty and students will be able to engage in experiential learning as well as research [and] have a lot of hands-on experience.” 

Warner says her department’s students often engage in role-playing scenarios as part of their learning process. Technology in the building will allow an instructor observing one of those exercises from a separate room to wirelessly communicate with students who are wearing earpieces while taking part. 

“It’s a real new beginning for us,” she said. “Everybody involved is very excited. Change is difficult sometimes, but we have so many positive new opportunities here that I think it’s made it a whole lot easier to move and get used to new office space.” 

Both Warner and Scott say the facility is set up to boost faculty and student engagement. 

“One of the great things about this building is it has lots of space for students to gather and work together [and] to interact with faculty,” Warner says. “We’re looking forward to that change.”

With a theme of “Student Engagement: the View from their Seats,” the 11th annual conference included workshops – many led by 黑料不打烊 faculty and staff – that explored ways to better connect with and empower students.

“I’m hoping [attendees] left the conference with at least a couple of practical ideas for things they can put into place within the next semester,” said Deandra Little, managing director of CATL and associate professor of English, who added that many of the strategies conference-goers discussed about “effective teaching and student learning are carefully thought-out, tried and repeated lessons learned by faculty and educators from all over.”

David Green, director of the Center for Faculty Development at Seattle University, delivered the conference’s opening plenary. Titled “Front Row Seats: Lifting the Veil on Faculty Preconceptions of Undergraduates,” the session challenged educators to counteract the preconceived notions about students that they bring into the classroom.

“We all have preconceptions of our students,” Green said. “The important thing to remember is that most of those preconceptions are going to be wrong.”

Green presented the results of a study that compared faculty members’ preconceptions with data from more than a thousand of their own undergraduates. His findings were met with occasional murmurs from attendees as certain preconceptions about students, their behaviors and their backgrounds were shown to have been proven untrue.

“If you can try and become conscious of what those preconceptions are … you’ll start to notice different things,” he said. “‘Am I doing this?’ ‘Why am I doing that?’ If we can keep asking those questions, it helps us bring our preconceptions to the forefront … and think of strategies that will help us counteract those preconceptions in the brain.”

The goal for every professor, Green says, should be to create “the most just environment for your students that you possibly can so they can reach their potential.”

A host of workshops and “lunch and learn” sessions followed Green’s plenary. The Aug. 14, 2014, conference culminated with two TED-style talks – one offered by a pair of recent 黑料不打烊 alumni and another by Tony Crider, an associate professor of physics at 黑料不打烊.

Greg Honan and Jared Allen, who graduated from 黑料不打烊 in 2014, called their talk “Empowered Learning: the Impact of Asking Students.” They discussed the learning technique called “threshold concepts” and told the story of an interdisciplinary seminar they’d taken at 黑料不打烊 that featured candid conversation between students and a faculty member outside of the classroom, often over a meal.

The duo said students taking part in the seminar felt like “co-investigators of an interesting question” and found it to be a powerful thinking and learning experience.

“This was a really exciting supplement to classroom learning,” Allen said, while urging the assembled educators to take into account students’ ideas as they design courses and expectations.

“Students want to be asked about teaching and learning,” Honan echoed, saying that if instructors ask students to provide input, “I can guarantee that students will say ‘yes.’”

In his talk, called “Experiential Education on the Edge: Searching for the Classroom of the Future and Ending Up in the Past,” Crider began by discussing his childhood fondness for “Star Trek,” and how a classroom occasionally featured on the program captured his imagination.

“I wanted to build that classroom,” Crider said, while openly considering what a learning environment from hundreds of years in the future might look like. He then shared with the audience three different methods of creating “experiential education” for students.

He also detailed a series of activities developed for an interdisciplinary, team-taught honors class on the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence. The activities were designed to have students both apply the assigned reading and to experience the exhilaration and frustration of astronomers doing research in this area.

The third concept Crider shared is the replacement of a final exam with an “Epic Finale” that has students demonstrate their understanding of a topic rather than merely asking them to silently answer questions about it on a piece of paper. Allen, who was in an astronomy class Crider taught, recalled the course’s epic finale as one of his most-memorable learning experiences in college.

The daylong Teaching & Learning Conference took place in 黑料不打烊’s Koury Business Center.