Fall Commencement is December 8
The fall Commencement Ceremony begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, December 8, in the Physical Activities Center. Dr. Paul Doss, the Integra Distinguished Professor Award-winner for 2007, will give the Commencement address. Faculty members who wish to participate in Commencement must contact the Office of Special Events at 812/ 464-1930. Faculty are expected to wear appropriate academic regalia, available for purchase through the USI Bookstore. Faculty and administrative staff will assemble at 9:15 a.m. in the Varsity Club Room. For more information, click here.

Due to limited seating, the Commencement Ceremony will be available online via live stream link. A broadband Internet connection will be required and links to the free RealPlayer 10 software for both Windows and Mac OS X can be located at instructech.usi.edu/fall2007.  Anyone who wishes to view the event on December 8, and has the software installed, will be able to do so by visiting the link and clicking on a live stream link.

If audience seating in the Physical Activities Center reaches capacity, overflow seating will be available in Carter Hall in the University Center. The ceremony will be televised live and in color on the large screen in Carter Hall. Guests will have the opportunity to witness the full program and see each graduate receive his or her diploma.

University Handbook updated
The University’s Outside Speakers Policy was recently amended by the Office of Academic Affairs as part of its annual review of the University Handbook. The Handbook is regularly updated in response to concerns. Click here to view the changes in the policy.

Children’s book sale starts Tuesday
Children’s books will be available for sale at a Mini Holiday Book Fair from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, December 4-6 in the USI Children’s Center lobby. For more information, contact Pam Buschkill, Children’s Center coordinator, at 812/464-1869.

Noble wins principal award
Laura Huber Noble '92, M '96, principal of William Tell Elementary School in Tell City, Indiana, is the Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP) top elementary principal in IASP’s District 11, composed of 11 southwestern Indiana counties. One elementary principal is honored from each of the association’s 12 districts. The USI magna cum laude graduate was Tell City’s teacher of the year in 1998 and Perry County Outstanding Young Woman for 2005. She was the Bower-Suhrheinrich School of Education & Human Services Alumni in Residence in 2006.

Call for Submissions for 2008 Scavone Awards
USI faculty and students are invited to submit projects for the Scavone Awards in Medieval Manuscripts and Culture. Two $1,000 awards are available; one for faculty, and one for a graduate or undergraduate student. John M. Lawrence ’73 created the awards for original and scholarly work on medieval manuscripts in honor of Dr. Daniel Scavone, professor emeritus of history, and his wife Carolyn. The 2007 faculty recipient of the Scavone Award was Dr. Jason Hardgrave, assistant professor of history, for his research entitled, “Medieval Women’s Identities as Formed by Medieval Manuscripts.” For specific criteria, click here or email Dr. S. Elizabeth Passmore, assistant professor of English. Submissions for the 2008 Scavone Awards are due by Friday, January 18, 2008.

Make reservations for Holiday Reception
All employees are invited to a Holiday Reception from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, December 6, in Carter Hall in the University Center. The reception includes a buffet meal, dessert, and the opportunity to enjoy some fellowship and holiday spirit with friends and colleagues. Contact the Office of Special Events to make a reservation before Saturday, December 1: 812/464-1930 or conferences@usi.edu. If you need disability-related accommodation in order to participate, contact C.J. Regin, director of Special Events, at 812/465-1654 by December 1.

Six $1,000 scholarships available
Students can apply now for one of six $1,000 scholarships in the USI/Epi-Hab Center for Disability Studies Scholarship Program. A student does not have to have a disability to qualify, but is asked to write an essay about his or her perceptions of disability in America. The application deadline for the 2008-2009 Epi-Hab Scholarship is Friday, December 7, 2007. The essay and two letters of recommendation are required. Applicants must:

• Be enrolled in a minimum of three semester hours at USI at the time of application and award (spring semester)

• Have completed at USI, or have had accepted for transfer to USI, a minimum of 12 semester hours

• Have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.7 (undergraduates) or 3.0 (graduates)

A $1,000 award is given to one student from each of the five colleges at USI, and a sixth one is available to either a student in the University Division or from the Bachelor of General Studies program. Students can download an application from the Epi-Hab Web site. For more information, call Kitty Wustig in Extended Services at 812/464-1863.