Davis went straight to work. With research to back him up and considerable help from his colleagues on the council, at the state’s Area Education Agencies and at the University of Iowa department of English and Rhetoric, Davis authored the original grant that initiated the Southeast Iowa Writing Project.

 

Today the program is known as the Iowa Writing Project and Davis, an assistant professor of English at UNI, is the director. UNI hosts the program, which is jointly administered by the Department of English, Continuing Education and the Office of Grants and Contracts. Affiliated with the National Writing Project at UC-Berkely, the IWP’s purpose is to improve the practice of the teaching of writing from kindergarten through college, across disciplines, in the context of systemic school improvement.

 

Since its inception, 9,000 Iowa teachers have participated in an array of collaborative initiatives designed to raise both the level of enthusiasm and overall writing achievement among students in Iowa schools. In 2006, elementary and secondary school teachers attended summer institutes at UNI, in Dubuque and Sioux City. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the program, which has been instrumental in establishing Iowa’s reputation for producing well-educated students across the curriculum.

“We learn to write by doing more of it, not by studying abstractions about it.” — Jim Davis, director, Iowa Writing Project

 

“Writing is essentially a complex psycho-socio-linguistic process, one result of which is a text,” Davis said. “We’re finding that the outcomes of engagement in writing are that students become more reflective, clearer thinkers with improved abilities to observe and comprehend.”

 

The summer institutes are demanding and writing-intensive but the teachers who voluntarily participate are motivated by what Davis calls “an exceptional commitment to improve writing pedagogy” for the benefit of their students and their schools.

 

Four hours of graduate credit are available from the three-week summer institutes, and the IWP conducts advanced sessions in other formats designed for maximum accessibility. Teachers interested in the Iowa Writing Project’s 2007 schedule may learn more at www.uni.edu/continuinged/iwp, e-mail james.davis@uni.edu or call 319-273-3842.

Groundbreaking for HPC

Community and UNI representatives gathered on July 21, 2006, near UNI’s Wellness and Recreation Center to break ground for UNI’s Human Performance Center (HPC). The 33,000 square-foot facility will be home to the Sport and Human Performance Center and the Center for Healthy Youth Development. Cedar Valley medical professionals will also have clinic space within the HPC. Expected completion for the HPC is December 2007.

Donors Set Records

A record-breaking 15,706 donors supported UNI in 2006, contributing $11,750,863 in pledges and gifts. The UNI Foundation’s total revenue for fiscal year 2005-’06 was $19,751,187. The UNI Foundation’s 14.7 percent investment return was again one of the best rates in the nation.

John Deere helps fund master’s startup

John Deere Waterloo Works has made a $94,500 contribution to the new Professional Science Master’s (PSM) program in Industrial Mathematics. The PSM program prepares students for careers in industry through business and experiential components and advanced study in mathematics. The gift provides salary support for a new faculty member and support for a student-operated mathematics and statistical counseling center.

His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al-Faisal, then-Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States of America, and UNI President Ben Allen cut the ribbon opening a two-day educational exhibit featuring Saudi Arabian culture and civilization. Al-Faisal visited UNI

 

Nov. 30., and gave a public presentation on “Saudi History and Culture.” At far left is Ali Alghobary, president of the Saudi Student Club, which planned and sponsored the visit.

Cooperative Education & Internship Program a ‘certified’ success for 30 years

Al Stamberg came to UNI specifically to start the UNI’s Cooperative Education and Internship program. Initially the program was federally funded, but now it is funded through Academic Advising & Career Services. Now in its 30th year, it has provided more than 10,000 high-quality internship/co-op arrangements. Participating students have earned $24 million during the course of those experiences. “These numbers do not reflect students the program assisted or who did not register for credit,” Stamberg said.

 

The program’s mission is to serve students from every major in finding meaningful pre-professional internships and co-op positions to strengthen their UNI degree and assist in transitioning to full-time employment. Nearly 100 faculty members support the program as faculty co-op supervisors. Students have participated in nearly every state in the country as well as Australia, China, Venezuela, Mexico and Germany. Most of the positions, though, have been in Iowa.

 

Iowa companies, such as Deere & Co., The Principal Financial Group, Pella Corporation, Rockwell Collins and AEGON USA, strongly support internships, with some of these employers having more than 100 interns at a time. Some employers, such as Pella, also pay dental and medical insurance and help interns find housing.

 

Another aspect of the program is “The 20 Best Internships on Campus,” an initiative begun in 1988 by then- President Curris. Academic and university departments and programs are eligible to submit a proposal each year to compete for a student to support projects, programs, offices or initiatives on campus.

 

“When the program began in 1976, internships were a nice idea. Today they are no longer just a nice idea. Employers expect graduating seniors to have had one or more major-related internships by the time they graduate,” Stamberg said. “Employers today expect to see internship or related experience on students’ resumes. In a sense, it ‘certifies’ them as prepared for full-time employment.”

 

Senior Traci Ollendieck interned at Pella Corporation in Pella last summer, in the human resources department. She spent eight weeks of her 12-week internship traveling around the country, helping present seminars on employee retention, orientation and career planning.

 

“You need an internship; it’s a resume builder. It was a great opportunity and I got some good experience,” said Ollendieck, whose major is supply chain operation and management. “Working for Pella re-emphasized that I’m in the right major, and that I do want to be in business. It really reinforced that I’m going in the right direction.”

 

 

Bill Hahesy (’06) interned at AEGON USA in Cedar Rapids during his junior year. He now works for the insurance and pension company in the same department where he interned.

 

“I believe that internship was a key contributing factor to getting a job with AEGON after graduation,” said Hahesy, who has a degree in management/business administration. “It bridged the gap between my academic studies and the real world. It also increased my confidence and maturity. When students are exposed to a professional setting, they can begin to see their college experience through a new perspective and with more interest.”

 

Patty Stephens (’01), University Relations manager at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, had two internships at the communications and aviation electronics company. During her first internship she helped organize professional development and social networking events for internship and co-op employees. The following spring she assisted with the hiring of more than 350 summer and fall co-op and internship employees.

 

“At the end of the summer internship, the student programs recruiter went on maternity leave and I was given the opportunity to manage the program during her absence,” said Stephens, who graduated with a B.A. in organizational communication and a marketing minor. “I also worked part-time during my senior year, commuting to Cedar Rapids two to three days a week. My internships lasted from April 2000 to May 2001 and turned into a full-time job within the University Relations teams as a new graduate recruiter in 2001.”

 

If you are interested in sponsoring a UNI internship or cooperative education student, contact Al Stamberg at
allan.stamberg@uni.edu.