The Ag e-Dispatch http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/ The newsletter of the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences en Copyright 2009 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:39 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Know a deserving individual with SAES connections? A&T will be accepting nominations until 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2, for the University’s 2010 Human Rights Medal, which will be presented  at a breakfast marking the 50th anniversary of the Greensboro Sit-In Movement, on Feb. 1, 2010. The Human Rights Medal was established to recognize individuals who have established a legacy of bettering society by working to correct social injustices. The award honors the four A&T freshmen who became known as the “Greensboro Four” by leading protests at the segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter in 1960. ]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/10/know-a-deserving-individual-wi.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/10/know-a-deserving-individual-wi.html SAES University Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:39 -0500 No more flexibility as of Nov. 1 The annual enrollment period for the optional insurance coverage offered through the NC FLEX benefit program comes to a screeching halt Oct. 30.  NC FLEX's insurance options include cancer, life, vision and dental insurance, and a supplemental medical plan that broadens coverage for visits to doctors' offices and inpatient hospital stays. (Faculty and staff opting for the flexible spending plan must re-enroll during each annual enrollment period.) For those already enrolled in an NC FLEX insurance option, the annual enrollment period is the one time of the year to drop or add coverage for a dependent. The NC FLEX Plan has a synopsis of what's new on its website.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/10/no-more-flexibility-as-of-nov.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/10/no-more-flexibility-as-of-nov.html SAES University Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:56:09 -0500 Flu news info iconA&T's Division of Human Resources is collaborating with insurance carriers and a health care provider to offer free flu shots to A&T employees, retirees and dependents with the State Health Plan or Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) coverage on Thursday, Nov. 5, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the 1020 E. Wendover Building. For those without State Health Plan or BCBSNC coverage, flu shots will be $30 each. State Health Plan and BCBSNC members will be asked to show member ID cards and a photo ID. The vaccine offered on Nov. 5 will not be effective in preventing the H1N1 virus (swine flu). Distribution of the four FDA-approved vaccines for the H1N1 influenza virus is now under way but supplies are too limited at this time for widespread distribution. Appointments for flu shots can be scheduled through the Division of Human Resources website.

Children younger than 9 will not be eligible for flu shots on Nov. 5 at the Division of Human Resources. Parents or guardians of children under 9 will need to take their children to a physician or health care provider.

Current state employees and retirees with State Health Plan or BCBSNC coverage can also take advantage of other times and locations for free flu shots. There is a Web page with links to flu shot clinics around the state.

Cooperative Extension specialists at N.C. State are helping to distribute Center for Disease Control  H1N1 vaccination information sheets, in Spanish as well as English — PDFs that everyone is welcome to print and distribute. ]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/10/flu-news.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/10/flu-news.html SAES University Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:52:13 -0500 <![CDATA[Honors series winds up with documentary that’s not to be missed]]> The lecture series that the A&T Honors Program inaugurated this semester will wind up Nov. 9 with a much-lauded documentary film, “Trouble the Water,” which will be of special interest to SAES students, faculty and staff whose academic interests and intellectual curiosities are drawn to family relations or natural resources management. The documentary is built around footage of the devastation that Hurricane Katrina caused to the Gulf Coast in 2005, and was shot by an African American couple who were residents of the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans when Katrina hit.

The campus showing of “Trouble the Water,” will be Monday, Nov. 9th at 7:30 p.m. in the McNair Hall Auditorium. Although there is no charge for admission the film has language that’s not appropriate for teenagers under 16.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/10/honors-series-winds-up-with-do.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/10/honors-series-winds-up-with-do.html SAES University Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:50:25 -0500 December Commencement has a couple of November deadlines academics iconA&T’s Fall 2009 Commencement Ceremony will be Monday, Dec. 14. The ceremony will be at the Greensboro Coliseum, with the diploma line — for students completing degree requirements in the summer of 2009 as well as the fall — forming at 7:30 a.m. and the processional beginning at 8:30 a.m. On the Friday prior to Commencement, Dec. 11, there will be a rehearsal, replete with complimentary breakfast, from 9 to 9:45 a.m. in the Alumni-Foundation Event Center. As with the Commencement Ceremony, attendance at the rehearsal breakfast is mandatory for students receiving degrees. To participate in commencement, students must have paid off all outstanding University fees and fines, including the University’s $60 graduation fee. Another requirement for students participating in the Commencement Ceremony is academic regalia (topped off with a maize tassel on the mortar board of those receiving SAES degrees) that can be ordered online from the University Bookstore until Nov. 20. (Go to the Bookstore's website, www.ncatbookstore.com, click on the General Merchandise link, click next on the Gradfest Regalia Link to make your purchase. From there, fill out and submit the form located at
http://www.ncatbookstore.com/ncat/RegaliaForm.pdf.) Regalia rental fees for Fall Commencement are now $39.99 for bachelor’s regalia, and $75.99 for master’s duds. The deadline for faculty orders for academic regalia is Monday, Nov.16.]]>
http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/10/december-commencement-has-a-co.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/10/december-commencement-has-a-co.html SAES University Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:49:21 -0500
First Saturday in November is University Day 2009 calendar iconThe Office of Admissions is bringing high school juniors and seniors (along with many of the parents of prospective students) to Greensboro for the 2009 University Day Academic Expo from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 7 at the Alumni-Foundation Event Center.   Families exploring what A&T has to offer will want to visit SAES booths which will include displays and information covering our academic programs. High school students interested in attending should be steered to the online registration form.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/10/first-saturday-in-november-is.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/10/first-saturday-in-november-is.html SAES University Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:45:46 -0500 University Day is only a couple of weeks away calendar iconThe Office of Admissions is bringing thousands of high school juniors and seniors (and many parents of prospective students) to Greensboro for a look at what A&T has to offer on Saturday, Nov. 7 — the 2009 University Day Academic Expo. Along with the University’s other schools and colleges, the SAES will have booths with displays with information covering academic programs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Alumni-Foundation Event Center on University Day. High school students interested in attending should be steered to the online registration form.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/10/university-day-is-only-a-coupl.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/10/university-day-is-only-a-coupl.html University Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:41:12 -0500 Fall Convocation falls on the final Thursday in October calendar iconA&T State University's Fall Convocation will get under way at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29, at Harrison Auditorium. Classes from 10 a.m. until noon are canceled so faculty and staff can join the friends and families of students at the ceremonies. Academic regalia is required for faculty members participating in the processional. Dr. Maya Angelou, Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University, will be the guest speaker at Fall Convocation.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/10/fall-convocation-falls-on-the.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/10/fall-convocation-falls-on-the.html SAES University Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:34:59 -0500 Presidential bio community read for 2009-10 academics iconDreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by President Barack Obama, is A&T’s "Text in Community" book for the 2009-10 academic year. Faculty, staff and students are being encouraged to read and discuss President Obama’s memoir, and incorporate the book into coursework and extracurricular activities.

Dreams from My Father was first published in 1995, following Obama’s graduation from Harvard Law School but before the outset of his political career. It was re-released following his keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. The book has been singled out by Time magazine as the “best written memoir ever produced by an American politician.”

Faculty staff and students who’ve already put away Dreams from My Father should take a look at the president’s vacation reading list from last summer if they’re looking for extra credit. The president packed five books along for vacation reading on Martha's Vineyard last summer: Hot, Flat and Crowded by Tom Friedman; John Adams by David McCullough; Lush Life by Richard Price; Plainsong by Kent Haruf; and The Way Home by George Pelecanos. ]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/09/presidential-bio-community-rea.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/09/presidential-bio-community-rea.html SAES University Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:47:16 -0500 <![CDATA[Homecoming will have a Halloween flavor in ‘09]]> If you know of an SAES corporate partner or collaborating agency interested in parading their Aggie Pride, let them know that the cost for entering a float or vehicle in the Homecoming Parade is a reasonable $150. The entry deadline is Oct 8. The Homecoming parade will start at 8 a.m., Oct. 31 on Murrow Boulevard. The parade route runs from Murrow onto Lindsay, and then culminates at Lindsay and Laurel streets.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/09/homecoming-will-have-a-hallowe.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/09/homecoming-will-have-a-hallowe.html SAES University Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:55:02 -0500 Travel tips Through Dec. 16, Amtrak's Campus Visit Discount promotion will be an option for prospective Aggies who would like to visit Greensboro along with a parent or guardian. (Parents and guardians of high school juniors and seniors can get a second ticket at 50 percent off when they buy one full adult fare for travel to college campuses on Amtrak routes.)  Visits to Greensboro via Amtrak begin at the Galyon Depot that’s very convenient to campus.  Once at Galyon, prospective Aggies will find a HEAT (Higher Education Area Transit) shuttle leaving every hour and arrives at Bluford Circle on the A&T campus 10 minutes later.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/08/travel-tips.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/08/travel-tips.html SAES University Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:32:25 -0500 <![CDATA[Might be wise to take 10 while the weather’s still inviting]]> info iconEven those members of the SAES faculty with nine-month appointments and those who spent their summer in another hemisphere are probably aware that one of the emergency measures enacted to balance the state budget included a salary reduction of one-half of 1 percent in state employees paychecks in June and July. Don’t wait until January of 2010 to get full details of what was actually a mandatory furlough. In exchange for the pay reductions in June and July, state employees get 10 hours of furlough time, and they must make arrangements with their supervisors for taking these 10 hours of furlough time before Dec. 31.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/08/might-be-wise-to-take-10-while.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/08/might-be-wise-to-take-10-while.html SAES University Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:28:33 -0500 Ron Brown Program may be an option for high quality high school seniors headed to the SAES in 2010-11 The Ron Brown Scholar Program — named to honor the former U.S. Secretary of Commerce who died in a plane crash in 1996 — awards high school seniors who are selected $10,000 a year for four years at the college or university of their choice. (Students who have graduated from high school and begun their college educations are not eligible.) The program — which has a stated commitment to “accelerate the progress of African Americans into the mainstream of leadership in business, education, government and a wide spectrum of professions, while instilling a strong dedication to leadership and public service — is highly selective. Last year only a dozen students were awarded scholarships out of more than 10,000 applicants. But the scholarship program’s website frequently notes that “Applicants to the Program, in addition to displaying academic excellence and a capacity to lead, must also demonstrate a commitment to service and community involvement.” That facet of selection criteria may be of particular interest to rising high school seniors planning to matriculate at the SAES at the start of the 2010-11 academic year.  Skim through the bios of recipients and you’ll notice that backgrounds in 4-H helped several of the Brown Scholars get a leg up on other high-achieving high school students who applied.

The Ron Brown Scholar Program has two application deadlines. Applications received by Nov. 1 will be evaluated for the Brown Scholar Program and also forwarded along to other scholarship programs that seem appropriate. Applications received between Nov. 1 and Jan. 9, the second application deadline, will be evaluated for the Brown Scholar Program alone.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/08/ron-brown-program-may-be-an-op.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/08/ron-brown-program-may-be-an-op.html SAES University Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:25:51 -0500 One-day grant writing seminar slated for Stallings in mid September pen iconA&T’s Division of Research and Economic Development and its Biotechnology & Bio Sciences Research Cluster, which includes the Agricultural Research Program, are bringing the nationally recognized “How to Write Award Winning Grants” to campus on Friday Sept. 11. The program will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Memorial Student Union’s Stallings Ballroom B.

The seminar will emphasize concept development, as well as tips for pleasing and appeasing proposal reviewers. Grant writing strategies for private sector funding, in addition to state and federal agencies, are also part of the program. Although there is no registration fee, seating is limited and first-come/first-served.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/08/oneday-grant-writing-seminar-s.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/08/oneday-grant-writing-seminar-s.html Agricultural Research University Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:12:52 -0500 Elon elongates faculty training to other Triad faculties The theme for Elon University’s 6th Annual Summer Conference, Aug. 20, devoted to innovations in college and university instruction, will be “New Media and the Interdisciplinary Teacher/Student..” The conference will explore the new educational dynamics facing university faculty as traditional methods, centered on texts and talk, are giving way to an explosion of new teaching technologies and methods. Although there is  no registration fee for the conference, pre-registration is required.

And even those educators who won’t have the time to work the conference itself into their back-to-school schedules can take advantage of its website; especially if they spent the summer wondering what the fuss is about Twitter. There’s a PDF at the conference website that explains things.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/08/elon-elongates-faculty-trainin.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/08/elon-elongates-faculty-trainin.html SAES University Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:37:04 -0500