Contact:
Stacey Christensen, community relations manager, UNI Office of Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
Vicki Grimes, Office of Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — For the first time in the four-year history of its Community Visitation Program, the University of Northern Iowa will pay a summertime visit when administrators, students, faculty and staff travel to the west central Iowa community of Carroll Monday, June 12.
A variety of activities are planned, including a library reading program, a playground safety presentation, bingo with students and care center residents, and a picnic in the park for students, alumni and their families. Several business and service club meetings are also planned.
UNI President Robert Koob will lead the UNI contingent, speaking before several groups throughout the day and and says he believes the visits are very positive for UNI. “I've been impressed by the warm reception we get at each location,” he said. “I believe the visits are invaluable because they give us the chance for a two-way learning experience. The community can learn more about UNI while we are learning more about the community.”
Stacey Christensen, community relations manager in the UNI Office of Public Relations, said she believes community outreach is important because it gives the university the opportunity to foster and establish relationships within communities that may not be as familiar with the institution, and to build rapport with businesses and citizens.
“This is a really unique visit day in that we have had overwhelming support from select community citizens of Carroll who were willing to take on responsibility to make this a special day,” she said. “This is the kind of working relationship that makes UNI outreach so much more profound in its impact on Iowa's communities.”
Six counties have been targeted for participation in the Carroll event: Carroll, Greene, Audubon, Crawford, Calhoun and Sac. Nearly 1,000 alumni live in the area, including more than 100 alumni educators. UNI currently has more than 300 students from the Carroll area.
In 1995, Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) and UNI created a collaborative elementary education program to address the teacher shortage in rural western Iowa. All classes from both schools are delivered on DMACC's Carroll campus. Of the 38 students completing the program in 1997 and 1999, 36 are teaching in Iowa.
Among the day's programs, Thomas Switzer, dean of the UNI College of Education, will speak on “Issues and Trends in Education” at 10:30 a.m. Monday, on the DMACC-Carroll campus, 906 N. Grant Rd. Carroll resident Jim Wilson, currently serves as chair of the College of Education Advisory Committee, and is among those who has helped organize the visit to Carroll.
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Contact:
Gerald Intemann, dean, UNI College of Natural Sciences, (319) 273-2585
Vicki Grimes, Office of Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — Scholarships of $2,500 per year are available to 40 qualified juniors and seniors majoring in computer science, industrial technology or mathematics at the University of Northern Iowa.
The scholarships, funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation, are renewable for a second year if a student makes satisfactory academic progress. The program was established by Congress to provide scholarship support to academically talented students in computer science, engineering and mathematics who need financial assistance.
“We hope this scholarship will reduce the financial pressures many students face in continuing their education and will allow them to pursue an education full-time while minimizing the number of hours they must work,” said Gerald Intemann, dean of the UNI College of Natural Sciences.
To be eligible, students must have at least junior status at UNI when classes begin in August 2000, be enrolled as full-time students, and have a declared major in computer science, industrial technology, or mathematics. They must also have a grade point average of 2.5 overall and 2.5 in the major, qualify for Pell Grant support and be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, refugee alien or permanent resident alien.
Applications and letters of reference must be submitted to the UNI College of Natural Sciences by June 30. For application forms or additional information, contact the College of Natural Sciences at 319-273-2585.
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