Inside UNLV UNLV Publications

Inside UNLV UNLV Publications 2-2005 Inside UNLV Erin O'Donnell University of Nevada, Las Vegas Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute Holly Ivy De Vore University of Nevada, Las Vegas Diane Russell University of Nevada, Las Vegas, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/inside_unlv Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Immune System Diseases Commons, Other Education Commons, Other Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons, and the Virus Diseases Commons Repository Citation O'Donnell, E., Harter, C. C., De Vore, H. I., Russell, D. (2005). Inside UNLV. Inside UNLV Available at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/inside_unlv/6 This Newsletter is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Newsletter in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. This Newsletter has been accepted for inclusion in Inside UNLV by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PRIVACY MATTERS INSIDE VIEW COWGIRL UP Flummoxed by FERPA? Learn the Hilary Bockstanz discusses Lauren Dean finishes the workday do’s and don’ts of this important staff development and employee race only to head out to a race of privacy law. relations. another sort. Page 3 Page 7 Page 8 INSIDE From The President 2 Holiday Card Tree 3 Service Kiosk 4 Spotlight 6 News & Information for UNLV Insiders February 2005 Training More Time for Teaching on Tap Faculty Adapt WebCT Tools HR Offers Resources for to Fit their Classroom Needs Improving Workplace Skills BY ERIN O’DONNELL BY ERIN O’DONNELL When Patti Shock started teaching You’re an expert in economics, online courses through WebCT three but you’re stumped by employee years ago, she was surprised to find evaluations. Or maybe you’re most of her students were logging in a whiz at business letters, but during breaks from their busy lives in befuddled by budgets. Las Vegas. Expertise in a field doesn’t “I expected more of the online stu- always come in the same pack- dents to live outside Las Vegas,” said age as office or managerial skills. Shock, chair of the tourism and con- That’s why the office of human vention administration department in resources and diversity initia- the Harrah Hotel College. tives is launching a campuswide Today, Shock ranks as a pioneer staff development program. The among the growing number of faculty goal is to improve employee rela- members who conduct part or all of tions and minimize office con- their courses through WebCT, UNLV’s flicts through employee devel- system for teaching online. More than opment training and resources. 14 percent of the courses offered dur- Hilary Bockstanz, formerly a ing fall semester had an online com- benefits counselor, recently was ponent, up from about 7 percent the named to the new position of previous fall. director of staff development and WebCT coordinator Wonda Riner Wonda Riner, the campus’ WebCT coordinator, encourages faculty members to uti- employee relations. describes WebCT as a course man- lize the many tools the course management system offers. “We want to make sure faculty agement system that gives faculty and staff have the skills, knowl- members dozens of tools to help accessible thereafter. “When you’re basis for both beginners and advanced edge, and expertise they need to them handle the business of teach- teaching the same course again and users. Riner said that once instructors perform their jobs,” Bockstanz ing more efficiently. With that taken again, that’s where the time savings have the basics down, they’re encour- said. “They may possess the tech- care of, faculty members can focus comes in,” Riner said. aged to innovate. nical skills, but they may not have on the content of a course, she said. Rosters, updated daily, are online, “The thing I’ve always told fac- supervisory skills that are as fully And it satisfies the expectations of and the electronic gradebook lets stu- ulty members is not to focus on what developed as they need.” a generation of students for whom dents view their grades confidentially. WebCT can do. Rather, focus on how Bockstanz will supervise a the Internet is as basic as running ■ Interactive: The discussion and you want to teach and make WebCT development and diversity trainer water. chatroom tools can help instructors meet your needs,” Riner said. “They who has yet to be hired. That per- Now housed in the office of infor- require participation that they can’t shouldn’t modify their teaching or con- son will design and lead work- mation technology, WebCT (short for always achieve in person. Assignments tent to fit a tool; they should modify the shops both at a dedicated train- Web Course Tools) is available for can be submitted online, and the sys- tool to fit their needs.” ing room in the Campus Services every course, every semester, and fac- tem enforces due dates by rejecting late For example, the School of Nursing Building and at other campus sites ulty members can use as many or as entries. And, students can have a direct wanted its students to use WebCT for as requested. few of the tools as they wish. It works line to professors through WebCT e-mail. journaling, but the assignment function on three main levels: ■ Evaluative: Online quizzes can wouldn’t accept ongoing submissions. Employees Requesting Help ■ Informational: Instructors can be given in multiple-choice, matching, So they adapted a different tool in the The demand for such training upload materials such as syllabi, lec- fill-in-the-blank, or even short-answer system for their purposes. is apparent, Bockstanz said. Many ture notes, or PowerPoint presentations formats, and they are graded instantly. The Nursing School has been enthu- faculty and staff members have for students to view or print — and “There’s that instant feedback that stu- siastic about WebCT, and created a come from institutions that had once they’re posted, the materials are dents love,” Riner said. Although not staff position to support faculty in their established staff development pro- graded instantly, essay questions are use of it. Assistant professor Roseann grams, and they miss that kind of To learn more about WebCT: also an option. Colosimo, who is leading the search for access. It’s one of the areas where i . the WebCT and web manager, said the call ext. 5-0730 Training Available UNLV is playing catch-up to its For WebCT Technical Support: debut of the nursing Ph.D. program explosive growth, she said. The Teaching and Learning Center was a major impetus for creating call ext 5-0777. lSEE TRAINING ON PAGE 7 offers WebCT training on a regular lSEE WEBCT ON PAGE 8 FROM THE PRESIDENT Legislative Session Presents Opportunities and Challenges I would like to take this oppor- tunity to welcome members of the university community back to campus after the break. For most of you, February is the time of year dedicated to returning to the typi- cal routines of the spring semester and to the tasks that make the institution run smoothly. For those of us in administration, it is also time to prepare for the new bien- BY CAROL C. HARTER nium — and with it, the state’s next legislative session. As always, the legislative session that will be tremendously beneficial to is expected to present both oppor- both the campus and the state. tunities and challenges for UNLV. ■ Approximately $24 million in The session inevitably demands a funding for the proposed Greenspun great deal of preparation by the uni- Hall, which would house several of versity, as well as our steady atten- the offices and departments in the tion and participation in the coming Greenspun College of Urban Affairs months. For those of you unfamiliar currently dispersed across campus. with our involvement in the legisla- The new state-of-the-art facility, which tive sessions of years past, I should is expected to cost approximately Students wait at the student financial services office in the Student Services note that beyond initiating the $40 million, would be funded in part Complex on the first day of spring semester. Funding to add to and renovate the extensive budgetary planning pro- by a donation from members of the complex to improve service to students will be sought from the state Legislature. cess that is naturally a part of each Greenspun family, who have gener- session, we also provide a great deal ously increased their pledge for the in nursing at UNLV, which will enable all legislative matters, it seems of background on any number of facility to $16 million. us to increase the number of qualified most appropriate for Gerry to UNLV needs and programs during ■ An estimated $10 million in fund- nursing faculty eligible to teach stu- serve as our lead campus liaison, the session. Legislators, or their staff ing for the Student Services Complex dents in Nevada. Our request for more working with the university lead- members, often request information addition and renovation that will consol- than $770,000 to help fund this pro- ership to gather information and from us on wide-ranging subjects, idate the student services departments gram is folded into a larger UCCSN respond to legislative requests.

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