UNCG’s Claudia Aguilera, an Interior Architecture master’s student from El Salvador on a Fulbright Scholarship, installed her thesis exhibition “Decoding Crafts” this week at UNCG’s Gatewood Studio Lobby.

If you have interest in the art of weaving, stop in. If you don’t have an interest in weaving, you might quickly find that you do.

The light fixtures are woven from designed recyclable strips. So are the stools, from designed cardboard. (You can put one together if you’d like.) Aguilera explains the forms, which are inspired by traditional woven Petate rugs, through a series of diagrams, posters and prototypes. It’s all an analysis of cultural referents from El Salvador and the industry manufacturing process. The older meets the newer. Handcrafted meets mass-produced.

Full story in Campus Weekly>

By Mary Robinson

The post At Gatewood: What a design we weave appeared first on UNCG Now.

The first opera Annabel Gigley saw was her own.

Annabel, a fifth-grader at Erwin Montessori, won Greensboro Opera’s 2012 “Write Your Own Opera!” competition, judged by UNCG Opera Theatre Director David Holley. Last week, she had a front-row seat as her short opera, “Jacks are Wild!” came to life on the stage at the Carolina Theatre.

Annabel found out she had won the competition just before Christmas break, an early present.

“I love to write and I thought entering the contest would be a good opportunity for me,” said the soft-spoken young author with the shy smile. Her favorite part is the ending, when the audience votes for the winners of an imaginary game show featuring fairytale characters.

The contest, designed to introduce kids to opera and sponsored by VF Corp and the Cemala Foundation, is in its third year. Fourth-graders in the public schools enter each year.

Winning operas are performed along with Greensboro Opera’s full-length show for children. This year’s main show was “Help! Help! The Globolinks!” — a fun takeoff on Orson Welles’ 1938 “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast.

Holley chose Annabel’s short story, “Battle of the Princesses,” and set about turning it into a 10-minute libretto. Mark Engebretson, Holley’s colleague in the UNCG School of Music, scored the piece.

“Jacks are Wild!” centers on a singing contest between three teams: Jasmine and Aladdin, Jack and Jill, and Cinderella and Prince Charming. Children in the audience snapped, clapped and hollered on cue as the characters performed lively original tunes like “You Don’t Know Jack!” and “Fi Fi Fo Fum!”

Adults in the audience found a lot to enjoy as well. Like the moment one of the princes in the show breaks into “Raspberry Beret.” “Not that Prince!” scolds the host, Jack of All Trades.

Spoiler alert: Cinderella and Prince Charming win out in the end. But Annabel cheered for all three talented couples in the contest she dreamed up.

Posted by Michelle Hines

Photography by Chris English

The post UNCG Opera Theatre brings girl’s story to life appeared first on UNCG Now.

UNCG is winning awards for its use of social media.

The University Relations Department at UNCG has won an Award of Excellence for use of social media in its integrated marketing and strategic communication (IMSC) campaign from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). The honor was presented at the 2012 CASE III District Conference, held Feb. 17-20 in Atlanta.

The CASE award recognized UNCG’s incorporation of social media into its marketing campaign, which was launched a year ago. The entry was titled “Building a Better ‘We’: Behind the Social Media Strategy of Integrated Marketing at UNCG.”

At the conference, UNCG staff presented two hour-long sessions. UNCG Marketing Director Debbie Schallock co-presented a presentation on UNCG’s integrated marketing and strategic communication strategy with Creative Services Director Lyda Adams Carpen. Staff writer Lanita Withers Goins, Web Manager Danielle Baldwin and Schallock presented a session on “Successful Social Media on a Shoestring.”

At the local level, the UNCG campaign also received a Gold ADDY award from the American Advertising Federation’s Triad chapter. The Gold ADDY recognizes the highest level of creative excellence and is judged to be superior to all other entries in the category. UNCG’s entry is recognized as GOLD at the local level and will automatically be submitted to the regional competition.

CASE is an international association of education advancement officers in a variety of areas including alumni administration, fund raising, public relations and marketing, government relations and publications editors. District III includes colleges and university in the Southeast.

Helen Dennison Hebert, associate vice chancellor for University Relations, said the awards illustrate the high caliber of work done by the department.

“A year ago, UNCG’s integrated marketing and strategic communication plan was launched,” said Hebert. “Since then the University Relations team has worked tirelessly on incorporating the campaign messaging into all of our work. It’s a thrill to have our social media engagements on IMSC recognized by peers in the advertising and higher education communities.”

UNCG’s integrated marketing and strategic communications campaign was planned for three years and involved a 37-member committee of faculty, staff, alumni and community representatives. Authorized by Chancellor Linda P. Brady, the committee developed a marketing and communication plan to enhance UNCG’s brand as an institution of higher education. Social media has been a key engagement component of the effort, particularly for students.

The University Relations team will present to another professional organization, the College News Association of the Carolinas (CNAC), in late March.

The post UNCG wins award for use of social media in marketing appeared first on UNCG Now.

Dr. Peter Alexander

Dr. Peter Alexander, dean emeritus of Butler University’s Jordan College of Fine Arts, will head UNCG’s School of Music,Theatre and Dance.

Alexander, principal clarinetist for the Hudson Valley Philharmonic from 1970-97, takes over as the school’s dean August 1.

“Dr. Alexander is an opportune match for the School of Music, Theatre and Dance,” said Chancellor Linda P. Brady. “In addition to his abilities as professor and musician, his administrative experience and commitment to community engagement will serve UNCG well as we continue to enhance the visibility of the performing arts and expand collaboration with the Greensboro arts community. The school is a continuing source of pride for this university.”

Provost David H. Perrin agrees that Alexander has a lot to offer the School of Music, Theatre and Dance, formed in 2010. Prior to his tenure at Butler, Alexander was dean of the University of Southern Mississippi’s College of the Arts and dean of the School of Fine and Performing Arts at the State University of New York at New Paltz.

“Dr. Alexander’s experience as an arts dean at three very different universities and proven record of fostering collaboration among faculty and students in music, theatre and dance make him the ideal candidate to lead the School of Music, Theatre and Dance,” Perrin said. “He will be a wonderful advocate for the performing arts on our campus and in the Greensboro community.”

Alexander was dean at Butler, located in Indianapolis, from 2001 until his retirement in 2010. Butler’s Jordan College — like the School of Music,Theatre and Dance — houses a broad range of disciplines, including the School of Music and the departments of Art and Design, Arts Administration, Dance and Theatre.

At Butler, Alexander was responsible for 53 full-time faculty, about 50 part-time faculty and 25 staff members. He also oversaw all aspects of curriculum, student recruitment and retention, fundraising and grants, facilities, public relations and publicity, an operational budget of more than $6 million, a large scholarship budget and alumni programs.

During his tenure, he put in place new programs in art and design, a master of fine arts in dance, a jazz studies concentration, a musical theatre concentration and a recording industry studies major. He also established a series of retention-related activities that resulted in the Jordan College often having the highest first-year student retention rate of all the colleges at Butler.

“For many years, the comprehensive music, theatre and dance programs at UNCG have enjoyed individual reputations for excellence,” Alexander said. “The recent creation of the School of Music, Theatre and Dance will strengthen all three disciplines by fostering new synergies, expanding community engagement, enhancing interdisciplinary collaborations and much more. I am honored to have been selected as the school’s next dean and very much look forward to getting started.”

He follows Dr. John Deal and Dr. Sue Stinson as dean of UNCG’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance. Deal — who led UNCG’s School of Music since 2001, and the combined School of Music Theatre and Dance, since 2010 — stepped down as dean last year, but remains on the school’s faculty. Stinson, a professor of dance, was appointed interim dean for the 2012-13 academic year.

By Michelle Hines

The post Alexander will head School of Music, Theatre and Dance appeared first on UNCG Now.

The UNCG Residence Hall Association was named “School of the Year” by the North Carolina Association of Residence Halls during its annual conference in February. The award, the highest given by the organization, recognizes RHA’s work to become a premier student organization at UNCG.

RHA, whose motto is “Putting the Unity Back Into Community,” provides residents with advocacy, programming and leadership opportunities. The group created training events to help Hall Council members learn how to run an effective meeting, held planning sessions and trained new board members. It continues to increase attendance at hall programs and events. This year, during RHA’s annual Stop Hunger Now philanthropy event, members worked with the Office of Leadership and Service Learning and the Associated Campus Ministries to package more than 20,000 meals for international communities in need.

“RHA is not only creating campus leaders, they’re creating a residential community that has improved life on campus. This is critical, because both campus data and national research tells us that living on and being involved in campus yields higher retention and graduation rates,” said Cherry Callahan, vice chancellor for student affairs. “I’m so proud of the work our RHA students are doing to make the UNCG experience better and to make our students more successful.”

By Michael Harris

The post UNCG’s RHA named “School of the Year” in N.C. appeared first on UNCG Now.

This yellowed press release, written by University President Charles Duncan McIver, is now part of UNCG’s University Archives collection. The release, in response to a dormitory fire on campus in 1904, was typed with typing errors hastily corrected. UNCG was then known as the State Normal and Industrial College. A few surviving photos document the extent of the damage.

January 21st, 1904.

The main dormitory of the State Normal and Industrial College was burned this morning about four o’clock. No student was injured in any way though a number of them lost their trunks and all their clothing. The citizens of Greensboro have opened their homes to the students, and comfortable temporary arrangements have been made. There will be no suspension of the college. The students have shown perfect self-possession, and there has been at no time anything bordering upon a panic. The three other dormitories together with the temporary equipment of rooms in the main college building, the Students’ Building, and the Curry Building will enable the college to continue its work for the present. In two or three weeks some permanent and better arrangement can be made.

Charles D. McIver, President

By Michelle Hines

The post A look back appeared first on UNCG Now.

A 4-alarm structure fire at the Spartan Village construction site on West Lee Street last night drew attention from newspapers and TV stations across the Triad. More than 55 firefighters responded to the call and worked through the night battling the blaze.

The fire was reported just after 9 p.m. No injuries have been reported.

The affected building, located beside the Lofts on Lee, is under construction and unoccupied. The building, which will house about 200 students, is one of four residence halls under construction in Spartan Village. The residence hall was slated to open this fall.

Authorities and university officials continue to investigate the cause of the fire and to assess damages.

Read reports from:

• the Greensboro News & Record,
• the Winston-Salem Journal,
• WFMY News 2,
• Fox 8,
• News 14 and
• WXII 12.

By Michelle Hines

The post Area media reports on Spartan Village fire appeared first on UNCG Now.

Updated 4-3-13, 10 a.m. – The Greensboro Fire Department has ruled that the fire that destroyed a UNCG residence hall under construction on Lee Street was accidental.

A final determination of the cause of the fire will come after forensic analysis of evidence, said Clarence Hunter, deputy chief of the Greensboro Fire Department. That analysis, which could take up to three weeks to complete, is being conducted by an independent third party laboratory. Hunter said more information will be released immediately upon completion of the forensic analysis.

The 4-alarm fire that started the night of March 14 destroyed Highland Residence Hall, an apartment building that was about 70 percent complete. The building was unoccupied and no injuries were reported. The fire is believed to have started in the building’s interior.

Work on the other three apartment buildings under construction at the university-owned Spartan Village complex will continue as planned and should be completed in time for students to move in next fall. Housing and Residence Life will work with students who had applied to live in Highland and make every effort to accommodate their housing preferences in the other buildings.

The damaged residence hall is insured by the construction company, said Jim Settle, UNCG associate vice chancellor for student affairs. “Student fees and room and board charges will not be affected by the damaged building. The construction contract requires complete insurance for the building while under construction. The construction company, in consultation with the appropriate engineers, will make a determination about the timeline for replacement.”

The total cost of the entire Spartan Village residential hall project is $52.5 million.

Updated 3-20-13, 11 a.m. — The Greensboro Fire Department began an investigation this week into the cause of a 4-alarm fire that started the night of March 14 and destroyed Highland Residence Hall, an apartment building on Lee Street that was under construction and about 70 percent complete.

UNCG officials said work on the other three apartment buildings under construction at the university-owned Spartan Village complex will continue as planned and should be completed in time for students to move in next fall. Housing and Residence Life will work with students who had applied to live in Highland and make every effort to accommodate their housing preferences in the other buildings.

The building destroyed by fire was unoccupied. No injuries were reported.
Mike Byers, associate vice chancellor for campus enterprises, said that work related to the fire investigation must wrap up before demolition of Highland can be completed.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s very little demolition work that goes on for most of this week, so the insurance company can sort out what they need to do and the fire marshal especially can do his work,” Byers told news media.

Jim Settle, associate vice chancellor for student affairs, said the timeline for replacing the damaged building is still being determined. “The construction contract requires complete insurance for the building while under construction. The construction company, in consultation with the appropriate engineers, will make a determination about the timeline for replacement.”

Shortly after 9 p.m. on March 14, the UNCG Police Department and Guilford-Metro 911 Center received reports of the fire at 917 W. Lee St. The Greensboro Fire Department arrived within minutes and began attempts to extinguish the blaze. As a precautionary measure, Lofts on Lee was evacuated. Residents were taken to a safe location and provided assistance by Housing staff. The evacuated students were allowed to return to their rooms briefly on Friday to retrieve personnel items. All residents were allowed back into the building Sunday evening.

Highland Residence Hall was a wood-frame structure and did not have fire protection systems in place yet. These factors all helped the fire spread quickly throughout the building. By the time firefighers arrived, the blaze had become deeply seated in the building, making it difficult to extinguish. The primary focus quickly turned from saving Highland to containing the fire and protecting the buildings around it, UNCG officials said.

Damage was generally limited to the one building. To maintain the public’s safety, power was cut off to the area immediately surrounding the building and Lee Street was closed between Tate and Aycock streets.

UNCG officials credited the quick action of first responders and university personnel for preventing further damage from the fire. “First responders saved this project,” said Ed Keller, associate director of operations for UNCG Housing and Residence Life. “The Greensboro Police Department, the Greensboro Fire Department and UNCG Police — they saved that project. They saved Lofts on Lee, and we are deeply appreciative of that. I don’t think there’s a black mark on the other buildings anywhere. It was an absolutely outstanding response.”

The fire is believed to have started in the interior of the building.

The damaged residence hall is insured by the construction company, Settle said. “Student fees and room and board charges will not be affected by the damaged building.”

The cost of the entire Spartan Village project is $52.5 million.

Chancellor Linda P. Brady visited the site Friday morning to assess the damage and visit with affected students. “This has been a very difficult period for us,” she said. “Spartan Village is an important part of our future and our goal of ensuring that more of our students have the opportunity to live on campus.”

“At the same time, I am relieved that the building was under construction and not occupied and that through the incredible work of the Greensboro Fire Department, they were able to contain the damage to that one building.”

Byers added, “We are extremely fortunate that this happened at a time when our campus was on Spring Break and not many students were here.”

Updated 3-15-13, 3:05 p.m. – UNCG officials credited the quick action of first responders and university personnel for preventing further damage from a 4-alarm fire at the Spartan Village construction site late Thursday night.

“First responders saved this project,” said Ed Keller, associate director of operations for UNCG Housing and Residence Life. “The Greensboro Police Department, the Greensboro Fire Department and UNCG Police — they saved that project. They saved Lofts on Lee, and we are deeply appreciative of that. I don’t think there’s a black mark on the other buildings anywhere. It was an absolutely outstanding response.”

The cause of the fire has not been determined. It is believed to have started in the interior of one of the four apartment buildings under construction. West Lee Street, from Tate Street to Lexington Avenue, remains closed to traffic. “The road will not be reopened until it’s determined the building has been stabilized or until it’s safe to open,” said Don Sheffield, chief building inspector with the city of Greensboro.
The damaged residence hall is insured by the construction company, said Jim Settle, UNCG associate vice chancellor for student affairs. “Student fees and room and board charges will not be affected by the damaged building. The construction contract requires complete insurance for the building while under construction. The construction company, in consultation with the appropriate engineers, will make a determination about the timeline for replacement.” The total cost of the entire Spartan Village residential hall project is $52.5 million.

Chancellor Linda P. Brady visited the site Friday morning to assess the damage and visit with affected students. “This has been a very difficult period for us,” she said. “Spartan Village is an important part of our future and our goal of ensuring that more of our students have the opportunity to live on campus.”

“At the same time, I am relieved that the building was under construction and not occupied and that through the incredible work of the Greensboro Fire Department, they were able to contain the damage to that one building.”

There is no monetary estimate on the structural damage. The building, 70 percent completed, was scheduled to open this fall. Because it was under construction, the sprinkler systems were not yet activated.

The evacuated residents of Lofts on Lee, which is located next to the damaged structure, were escorted into the building around noon Friday to allow them to pick up personal items. Affected students were also given access to free laundry services and meals through the weekend. Students, evacuated late Thursday night as a precautionary measure, were provided with alternate housing and assisted by UNCG officials and the Red Cross. UNCG’s Office of Housing and Residence Life remained open through the early morning hours to assist impacted students.

“We are extremely fortunate that this happened at a time when our campus was on Spring Break and not many students were here,” said Mike Byers, UNCG’s associate vice chancellor for campus enterprises.

Lofts on Lee residents who aren’t on campus are asked not to return to their residences this weekend. Questions regarding student housing should be directed to UNCG Housing and Residence Life.

The estimated 60 students who have paid deposits to live in the building in the fall will be offered alternate housing in the complex. The other three apartment buildings in the Spartan Village project were not damaged, officials said Friday.

As a precautionary measure, Duke Energy cut power service to some homes in the surrounding area. Power had been restored by midday Friday. No damages were reported to surrounding homes and businesses.

Extent of damages from last night’s fire not yet known

Updated 3-15-13, 10:35 a.m. – More than 60 firefighters worked through the early morning hours to contain a 4-alarm structure fire at the Spartan Village construction site on Lee Street.

The fire, reported just after 9 p.m. Thursday, engulfed an unoccupied residence hall that is under construction. No injuries were reported.

Fire officials plan to meet with contractors today to stabilize the affected building, then will begin an investigation into the cause of the blaze. Lofts on Lee, a university-owned residence hall located beside the scene of the fire, will be reopened to its residents once it has been determined that they can safely return.

Officials from the Greensboro Fire Department said they hoped to have power to the area restored by this morning. Lee Street likely will remained closed to traffic near the fire scene through midday Friday.

As a precautionary measure last night, UNCG Police evacuated about 30 students housed at Lofts on Lee. Affected students were provided with alternate housing and assisted by UNCG officials and the Red Cross. UNCG’s Office of Housing and Residence Life remained open through the early morning hours to assist impacted students. The vast majority of UNCG students are away from campus this week for Spring Break.

The damaged residence hall, which will house about 200 students, is one of four residence halls under construction in Spartan Village. The residence hall was slated to open this fall.

A roundup of media coverage of the fire can be found here.

Click here to read about a 1904 fire that destroyed a campus dormitory.

Update: Fire at construction site; no injuries reported

Updated 3-14-13, 11:30 p.m. The Greensboro Fire Department has responded to a 4-alarm structure fire at the Spartan Village construction site on West Lee Street.

The fire was reported just after 9 p.m. UNCG Police evacuated about 30 students housed at Lofts on Lee, a university-owned residence hall located beside the scene of the fire, as a precaution. There are no injuries reported at this time.

The affected building, located beside the Lofts on Lee, is under construction and unoccupied. The cause of the fire and the amount of damage is unknown at this time.

Affected students have been assigned housing and are being assisted by UNCG officials and the Red Cross. More than 55 firefighters responded to the call and were expected to work through the night battling the blaze.

The building, which will house about 200 students, is one of four residence halls under construction in Spartan Village. The residence hall was slated to open this fall.

Fire at construction site; no injuries reported

Updated 3-14-13, 11:03 p.m. The Greensboro Fire Department has responded to a 4-alarm structure fire at the Spartan Village construction site on West Lee Street.

The fire was reported just after 9 p.m. UNCG Police evacuated about 30 students housed at Lofts on Lee, a university-owned residence hall located beside the scene of the fire, as a precaution. There are no injuries reported at this time.

The affected building, located beside the Lofts on Lee, is under construction and unoccupied.

Affected students have been assigned housing.

Lofts on Lee is located at 915 W. Lee St.

By Lanita Withers Goins

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UNCG’s Jefferson Suites Residence Hall has been awarded LEED Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, an acknowledgement of the 176,000-square-foot building’s sustainable design, construction and operation.

Jefferson Suites is the second building at the university to receive LEED certification in as many years. The UNCG School of Education was certified LEED Gold in 2012.

“Jefferson Suites is the first residence hall at UNCG to receive LEED certification. It’s a tangible demonstration of the university’s commitment to sustainability, which is a value in UNCG’s strategic plan,” said Jorge Quintal, associate vice chancellor for facilities. “Achieving LEED Silver certification sets a standard for sustainable design and construction practices on future projects on our campus.”

Silver certification is earned by scoring 50 of 110 possible credits; Jefferson Suites earned 55 credits. The project exceeded the criteria in some categories by diverting almost 90 percent of construction waste from landfills and providing state-of-the-art ventilation systems throughout the building.

Jefferson Suites opened in August 2011, but officials weren’t able to submit the building for LEED consideration until post-occupancy measurements could be taken to evaluate building performance in certain categories.

Design elements of the $31.5 million building are projected to reduce energy use 24 percent and water consumption 36 percent compared with a typical new building of the same size. The building is expected to save more than 50 percent of the annual natural gas consumption through the use of high-efficiency condensing boilers. Other energy and water-saving technologies to help achieve these savings include: high-efficiency chillers, exterior lighting that reduces electrical consumption by 50 percent, water-efficient landscaping, and motion sensors to automatically control lighting and HVAC.

Additional items for which the project earned credits include:

• The use of low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) paints, sealants and carpet
• 37 percent recycled content in building materials
• 65 percent locally and regionally sourced building materials

The project also received an exemplary credit for implementing a comprehensive transportation demand management plan that emphasizes alternate transportation such as university and city buses, cycling and walking.

By Lanita Withers Goins

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The U.S. Green Building Council awarded one of UNCG’s newest dorms with the LEED Silver certification, the News & Record reported. The residence hall, which is located at Spring Garden and Kenilworth streets, has several systems designed to reduce use of water, electricity and natural gas. As well, about a third of building materials were recycled, and roughly two-thirds came from local and regional sources.

Going with the “green” push, the UNCG School of Education was certified LEED Gold in 2012.

By Christine Maillet

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Bicycling at UNCG just keeps getting more convenient.

Four bicycle repair stations – called Fixit Stations – have been set up on campus. They have the typical tools a biker may need, such as standard wrenches, and (except in the coldest months) an air pump. They were installed over the past months at Walker Circle behind Jackson Library; Gray Drive across from the Student Health Center; Spring Garden Street between Jefferson Suites and Tower Village; and in the McIver Street Parking Deck.

And there’s more for those who choose to bike. Learn about more of UNCG’s bicycle-friendly options in Campus Weekly.

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Farewell stairwell. The Dining Hall as thousands of Spartans know it is undergoing an extreme makeover.

The next phase of the Dining Hall renovation — the third of four parts – includes renovations in the east wing near College Avenue and the central core of the building.

“The stairwell is gone now,” said Fred Patrick, director of UNCG Facilities Design & Construction. “They’re jackhammering the concrete (near the stairs) now.”

With new stairs at the western and eastern sides of the building, students will be able to enjoy a better use of that central space. On the top floor will be a beautiful basilica-type dome. “They’re installing pilings for structural support of the dome. Then they’ll build the dome.

“It’s going to be amazing,” Patrick said.

Get more details on the Dining Hall renovations and other campus construction in this week’s Campus Weekly.

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This July marks UNCG’s golden anniversary — as UNCG.

Fifty years ago this month, the university’s name was officially changed to The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The institution has undergone a number of name changes since its founding as the State Normal and Industrial School for White Girls in 1891. Other names include State Normal and Industrial College (1897-1919), North Carolina College for Woman (1919-1932), and the Woman’s College of the University of North Carolina (1932-1963).

The mid-1960s was a time of change for UNCG and the UNC System as a whole. The year after the name change to UNCG, the university underwent another seismic shift — the switch from a women’s school to coeducational status in the fall of 1964. Read more about the history of and reaction to these changes in Spartan Stories, the blog of UNCG University Archives.

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UNCG is a partner with a program to help produce the next generation of principals, The Burlington Times-News reported.

The school is in collaboration with the Piedmont Triad Leadership Academy that recently had their graduation consisting of 20 aspiring principals who completed their program after a year of hard work.

The PTLA also collaborates with the Alamance-Burlington School System, Asheboro City Schools, Guilford County Schools, Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools, and the Piedmont Triad Education Consortium.

The post UNCG is in partnership with program for aspiring principals appeared first on UNCG Now.

Mike Byers, an associate vice chancellor, was interviewed by The Business Journal regarding the restarting of construction on Spartan Village after a fire delayed it back in March.

“We probably could have gotten it done sooner, but there’s not any benefit to doing that,” Byers said. “When it comes to student housing facilities, there’s really only two times you can fill it — August or August. If you miss August, it’s not like you can open it in September and open it like a normal apartment building.”

The construction is on track to being done by December. The other three buildings in Spartan Village are still scheduled to open on August 7.

WGHP Fox 8 also picked up this story.

The post Byers interviewed about restarted construction on Spartan Village appeared first on UNCG Now.

Tim Johnson, director for Housing and Residence Life, was interviewed by News 14 Carolina about the propensity of campus housing at UNCG.

While the article references a survey from the National Retail Federation that indicates that fewer college students across the U.S. are choosing to live on campus this year, UNCG has a unique situation.

“We actually have, this year, about 60 more freshman (who have) applied for housing. We turned off our freshman housing application this past week just because we’ve reached the point where we’re afraid we won’t be able to get a space for somebody if they apply at this point,” Johnson said.

Despite this difference at UNCG from other campuses, Johnson says that he does see students saving money by opting for public transportation, as paraphrased in the article.

“Part of their student ID here on campus at UNCG gives them access to public transit here in Greensboro. So a lot of students are riding the bus, using public transit, saving on gas and insurance and car expenses,” he said.

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UNCG police chief J.C. Herring was referenced in an article by News 14 Carolina as opposing a state gun bill that is headed for the governor’s desk.

The bill, which was approved by both the NC house and senate, would allow concealed handgun permit owners to leave their firearms in a locked car on colleges and school campuses.

Herring was one of 17 UNC system police chiefs to  sign a statement opposing the proposed legislation. Read their statement in its entirety here: http://newsandfeatures.uncg.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/HB937-UNC-Police-Chiefs-Letter-061013.pdf.

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The granddaughter and daughter-in-law of the late Henrietta Lacks, a poor African-American woman whose cells were used in medical research unbeknownst to her or her family, will speak and answer questions Sunday, Aug. 18, in UNCG’s Aycock Auditorium.

The moderated discussion with the Lacks family is part of the Chancellor’s New Student Convocation, which begins at 3 p.m. All incoming students are required to attend the convocation, and the event is not open to the public because of limited space.

Incoming UNCG freshman are reading “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by journalist Rebecca Skloot, the latest First-Year Summer Read selection. Jeri Whye Lacks, Henrietta Lacks’ granddaughter, and Shirley Lacks, Henrietta Lacks’ daughter-in-law, will speak to students as part of campus programming related to the book.

Skloot’s book chronicles how Lacks’ cells, dubbed HeLa, were used to develop the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses and the atom bomb’s effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions.

Lacks, a Southern tobacco farmer and mother of five, died in 1951 of cervical cancer. She never agreed that cells from a biopsy should be used for research, and her family was unaware for many years that the cells were used by scientists, generating billions of dollars. This spring, Lacks’ family learned that her genome had been sequenced and made public for anyone to see.

The Lacks family made national headlines earlier this month when the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a new agreement requiring application and approval to access the genome data. Two members of the Lacks family will also serve on the NIH panel that grants researchers access to the HeLa cells.

For more information on the New Student Convocation, contact New Student and Spartan Family Programs at (336) 334-5231 or yfy@uncg.edu.

For a full list of campus events related to the Henrietta Lacks story, visit  http://yourfirstyear.uncg.edu/newsletter/summer-2013-2/first-year-summer-read-events/.

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Roommates Tony Sanders and Daniel Luciano marveled at their new surroundings during move-in day Wednesday at Spartan Village, UNCG’s new apartment-style housing for upperclassmen.

A full kitchen with granite countertops, handsome wood cabinets and sleek new appliances. A spacious counter with bar stools. A flat-screen TV and loveseat in the living room. Free washers and dryers. A 24-hour clubhouse with pool table and gaming stations.

“It is definitely two steps above everywhere I’ve lived,” said Sanders, a senior from Winston-Salem who is majoring in psychology, with minors in criminology and Spanish.

“The best has to be the kitchen set-up. We had just the basics in other dorms or had to share a kitchen with an entire floor. This gives me a chance to start cooking if Mom will let me have some pots and pans and skillets.”

A smile crept across Dereace Sanders’ face. “Where are the smoke detectors?” she joked.

Luciano, a sophomore from Fairfield, Conn., was equally impressed with his apartment in Lee Hall.

“My dad and I watched the video while it was under construction, but seeing it in person is so much better than I thought,” he said. “This is honestly like a resort.”

Sanders and Luciano had a special visitor to their new digs on Wednesday. After giving her annual State of the Campus address in the morning, Chancellor Linda P. Brady changed from a suit to shorts and spent the afternoon touring Spartan Village and visiting with its new residents.

“This is incredible,” Brady said. “It’s nothing like what I lived in when I was in college.”

Emily Nanna, a coordinator for residence life, was marveling too — at the high numbers of upperclassmen moving in on opening day. Most trickle in during the week leading up to the start of fall classes.

“We’re 60 percent full,” Nanna reported at 2 p.m. “I was hoping for that for the whole day.”

Move-in day at Spartan Village, the first wave of student move-ins that will continue through the weekend leading up to the first day of classes on Monday, was not without its challenges. The elevator in Haywood Hall broke down for a while, which meant some students and their families moved in the old-fashioned way — by hauling boxes up the stairs.

But not for long. “You can’t afford elevators to be down on move-in day,” said Tim Johnson, UNCG’s director of Housing and Residence Life. “We keep a repair company on call.”

Three of Spartan Village’s four buildings — Haywood, Lee and Union halls — opened to students on Wednesday. Highland Hall, the fourth building seriously damaged by a construction-related fire in March, is being rebuilt and should be ready to open in January, Johnson said.

The $52.5 million, university-owned Spartan Village complex includes 800 beds and space for offices and retail. It is the first phase in UNCG’s expansion into the West Lee Street Corridor, which also will include a new station for UNCG Police and a pedestrian underpass beneath the railroad corridor. Future phases of the project call for a new student recreation center.

The expansion syncs with Greensboro’s revitalization plan for the High Point Road/West Lee Street Corridor, a main entry point and thoroughfare in the city, and is expected to spur significant economic development in the area.

Story by Betsi Robinson

Photography by Chris English, University Relations

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UNCG Provost David H. Perrin has announced plans to return to the university’s teaching faculty at the end of the academic year.

“This academic year will complete my seventh as provost, and now is the time to begin the search for UNCG’s next chief academic officer,” Perrin told faculty on Wednesday. “My term as provost will end on June 30, 2014. It has been an honor and a thrill to serve this wonderful university for six years as dean and seven years as provost. I am looking forward to preparing for the next phase of my career as professor of kinesiology. ”

Chancellor Linda P. Brady praised Perrin in a message to faculty and staff.

“Dr. Perrin has served as UNCG’s chief academic officer since July 1, 2007, a period of great challenge and change in American higher education. He led the academic restructurings that created the School of Health and Human Sciences and the School of Music, Theatre and Dance and concluded a comprehensive academic program review that has positioned the university for future investment and development,” Brady said. “Under Dr. Perrin’s leadership, UNCG collaborated with other universities to launch initiatives such as the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (with N.C. A&T) and, more recently, the Downtown University Campus.”

In the days ahead, Brady said, she will discuss the appointment of a search and screening committee with the Faculty Senate leadership, Deans Council, executive staff and other constituencies with a national search for Perrin’s replacement beginning this fall.

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