Monthly Archives: September 2012

Costa Rica Maymester SAB Info sessions-1st one meets today! September 18

Costa Rica Maymester – Study Abroad Program
  • Costa Rica Maymester Info. Session, Sept. 18, 12:00noon-1:00pm, Meyerson Room (WCH 4.118) – FREE LUNCH – Schlotzsky’s box lunch provided to the first 10 student attendees!
  • Costa Rica Maymester Info. Session, Sept. 26, 4:00pm-5:00pm, Meyerson Room (WCH 4.118)
  • Costa Rica Maymester Info. Session, Oct. 4, 5:00pm-6:00pm, Joynes Reading Room (CRD 007) – the Joynes Suite is accessed through the Honors Quad, the door is on the east side of Carothers (CRD)
  • Costa Rica Maymester Info. Session, Oct. 10, 5:00pm-6:00pm, RLM 7.104
  • APPLICATION DEADLINE – Nov. 1, 2012 – http://world.utexas.edu/abroad/programs/mm/application
NOTE ON ELIGIBILITY: This program is open to UT undergraduate students from all schools and colleges who meet the eligibility criteria, not just Plan II students.  Minimum eligibility criteria includes a 2.5 cumulative GPA and completion of either BIO 301E (Problems in Modern Biology/Plan II Biology) or BIO 311D (Introductory Biology II) prior to departure.  Completion of BIO 315H (Advanced Introduction to Genetics: Honors) is also acceptable in lieu of the classes listed above.
Costa Rica Maymester – Program Summary:
The University of Texas at Austin is proud to offer a 2013 Maymester Study Abroad Program in Costa Rica, Land Use Issues in Rainforest Conservation, to students interested in understanding the complex issues surrounding rainforest conservation.  Costa Rica is renowned for its ecological diversity and extensive reserves.  However, the country faces serious economic and public policy issues in the conservation of its treasured rainforest.  Students will be challenged to consider the many different factors affecting land use in Costa Rica during a Spring 2013 one hour seminar course (LA 119), four weeks of field work and research in Costa Rica (May-June 2013 – TC 357 or BIO 337).  The program provides hands-on experience as well as immersion into the context of the question. Students will interact with the local population and governmental agencies, as well as with visiting international students and researchers. The issue of sustainable conservation requires an understanding of biology, environmental science, business, political science, sociology, anthropology and economics, so this program is well-suited to students with interdisciplinary interests. For students wanting more, this program will lay the ground work for subsequent in–depth study abroad, research, and for some of students’ honors theses.

Forum on High-Stakes K-12 Testing – Sept. 24

With Texas approaching the 83rd Legislative Session, concern and controversy surrounding the increased number of standardized tests and elevated stakes for students is rising. To better inform and engage parents, educators, legislators and advocates in discussion of these issues, the LBJ School of Public Affairs will host “Measuring Up: A Statewide Conversation on High-Stakes Testing & Accountability” on Sept. 24. The event is open to the public but we do ask that you register in advance for catering purposes. Also, please feel free to share this with anyone else you think might be interested.

A networking reception that will follow the event, especially students who might be graduating soon and looking for jobs. The networking reception would be a good way to meet people already working in education in the state.

Apply for Peer Mentor Position with TIP

Dear Liberal Arts Honors Students,

You are invited to apply for a Peer Mentor position within the Texas Interdisciplinary Plan (TIP) for the Fall 2013-Spring 2014 academic year.  Liberal Arts Honors students have an exemplary reputation as a part of our mentoring staff and we would very much like to work with YOU in the future.  If you enjoy working with incoming students and wish to encourage their academic excellence and ease their transition into university life please keep reading!

Please go to the TIP Mentor Page and click on the “Apply to be a TIP Peer Mentor” link on the left-hand side of the page.  From the Mentor Application Flyer there is a direct link in RED Text that leads you to the application which is housed in ScienceWorks.  Applications are due Friday, September 28th, 2012 at 5:00 pm.

Please keep in mind that experience as a student (academic and campus involvement) is highly valued during the selection process.  We will also be increasing the number of alternate mentors we will be accepting this year as well.  Please read and review the information on the link provided and if you have additional questions please contact TIP Peer Mentor Coordinator, Jenny Smith at:  jlsmith@austin.utexas.edu

Thank you again – We look forward to reading your applications.

Sincerely,

Jenny Smith

Jennifer L. Smith, M.Ed.

Sr. Student Affairs Administrator & Lecturer

Texas Interdisciplinary Plan (TIP) Mentor Academy Coordinator

College of Natural Sciences Peer Leader Academy Coordinator

The University of Texas at Austin

http://cns.utexas.edu/academics/tip

http://cns.utexas.edu/careers/peer-leader-academy

Join the Echo Editorial Staff

Echo is the annual Liberal Arts Honors literary journal.  The journal contains various student submissions of prose, poetry, and photography. A new edition comes out each Spring semester, and we begin accepting submissions at the start of the Fall semester. Feel free to submit any number of pieces in any or all of the categories. To have your work considered for publication email echolitmag@gmail.com.

To join the Echo editorial staff, please email the same address or contact co-editors Andy Bowman or Cindy Brzostowski  to be put on the mailing list. We will begin sending out information regarding reading sessions in the Spring semester.

This year we will be looking for dedicated and hardworking individuals to train to take over the literary magazine next year as the co-editors will have graduated.

Archaeology in Portugal

Interested in archaeology? Want to spend your summer in Europe?

If yes, you should consider our Summer 2013 program in Vila do Conde, Portugal!

This archaeological field school is directed by Dr. Mariah Wade, a professor in the Department of Anthropology. The excavation site is a hilltop fort and settlement that spanned the period from the Bronze Age to the Roman era.

Want to learn more? Come to an info session!

Tuesday, September 18 at 5:30pm in SAC 4.174

Wednesday, October 10 at 5:00pm in SAC 4.174

Tuesday, October 23 at 5:00pm in SAC 5.124

This is a great opportunity for students interested in archaeology and/or working toward a minor in Anthropology. All majors are welcome. No experience is required although students should have successfully completed ANT 304.

For a student perspective, read Caitlin Gulihur’s essay in the Fall 2011 LAH Newsletter.

Harvard Graduate School of Education Information Session

Join dual alumni of both UT Austin and the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) to learn more about HGSE’s master’s programs in education:

Harvard Graduate School of Education Information Session

Monday, September 24

5:00-6:00 p.m.

Parlin 204

RSVP here: ow.ly/dgVra

Whether you are thinking about graduate study now or down the road, this session is a great opportunity to gather information and make connections.

We hope to see you there!

Questions? Please contact Natalie Van Kleef at vanklena@gse.harvard.edu.

Analecta Literary and Arts Journal

Are you a literature buff, an art enthusiast, or a graphic designer? Analecta, the University of Texas at Austin’s official literary and arts journal, is now accepting staff applications for the 2012-2013 school year. Available staff positions include fiction reader, nonfiction reader, art board member, and design team member (Adobe InDesign experience required). To apply, please email analecta.ut@gmail.com with the phrase “Staff Application Request” in the subject line. We will be accepting completed applications until Friday, September 20th, 2012 at 11:59pm.

Normandy Scholar Program – Applications Due Oct. 8

Dear Liberal Arts Honors Program student:

This letter is to invite you to consider the Normandy Scholar Program on World War Two (NSP) as a part of your educational experience at The University of Texas at Austin.  The Normandy Program, which is open to all majors on campus and does not require a foreign language, offers one-semester (Spring 2013) of intensive study of World War Two combined with a three week-long faculty-led study visit to the most important European sites of World War Two in London, Paris, Normandy, Berlin, and Poland.  Students who meet the program requirements and are looking for an extraordinary educational opportunity are invited to inquire and apply.

We would like to encourage you to stop by the NSP info table at the Study Abroad Fair to talk to former Normandy Scholars about their experiences in the program. There will also be NSP Faculty available to answer questions.

Study Abroad Fair: Wednesday, September 12
Gregory Gym Plaza, 10 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

If you would like to acquaint yourself with the program and get an application, please view the NSP web site: http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/history/normandy-scholars/overview.php (listed on the left-hand side of the History Department home page).  There you will see testimonials from Liberal Arts Honors students, such as the following:

“The Frank Denius Normandy Scholar Program was the best semester I have had at UT so far. Learning from some of UT’s best professors in a classroom with only 20 students is such a unique opportunity. The professors are so passionate about what they are teaching that it motivates you to keep up with the rigorous coursework. The friendships that develop while taking classes together only get stronger once on the Europe trip. The program introduced me to some of the most interesting and intelligent students on the 40 Acres. Getting to travel to Europe to see what you have spent an entire semester learning about is so rewarding. Walking down Omaha Beach or past the Reichstag is so much better than simply reading about these sites in a book. NSP truly makes history come alive.”  (Caroline Corcoran)

For further information, you can contact the Director of The Frank Denius Normandy Scholar Program on World War Two, Professor Charters Wynn at wynn@utexas.edu or you can visit the History Department’s Undergraduate Advising Office, Garrison Hall, Room 1.140, 471-7670 for more information.

NSP Application Deadline: Monday, October 8.