Author: Jacqueline Todd

Ratan Tata to speak to Clemson community

Clemson University will welcome Ratan Tata to the Brooks Center on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 2 p.m. for the Inaugural Global Leaders Forum. The forum will feature Mr. Tata answering questions from students about global impact, philanthropy and business.

Due to limited seating, priority for entrance will be given to Clemson students, faculty and staff, and a valid Clemson ID will need to be presented upon entrance. Doors to the Brooks Center open at 1 p.m., and parking is recommended in lots P-7 and P-5 off of Highway. 76, where shuttle service will be in effect.

Mr. Tata is an industrialist, investor and philanthropist. He was the chairman of the Tata Group (1991-2012, 2016-2017), a Mumbai-based conglomerate. The Tata Group of Companies is the leading corporation of India and has more than 90 operating companies in seven business sectors: communications and information technology, engineering, materials, services, energy, consumer products and chemicals. They currently operate in more than 80 countries with more than 395,000 employees worldwide.

Mr. Tata received a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Cornell in 1962, completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 1975 and received an honorary doctorate of automotive engineering from Clemson University in 2015.

The government of India honored Mr. Tata with its second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, in 2008.

Clemson and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) have joined forces to raise money for cancer research. The universities are urging their communities to participate in the LOWVELO bike ride on Nov. 2. Participants can select one of three rides of varying distances. Money raised during this inaugural event will be used to fund cancer-focused projects and research from each institution through a peer-reviewed process.

Organizers hope to raise $1.5 million during the event.

Learn more about the ride and register at https://lowvelo.org/.

Edward Lee McLean, 84, of Everett, Washington, died Aug. 21, 2019. He was a faculty member in the department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology. “Captain Ed” as many called him, mentored many students during his career as an advisor for Community and Rural Development majors. After retiring from Clemson in 2001, he was awarded the official title of Professor Emeritus of Agriculture and Applied Economics in 2002.

McLean is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, family and friends.

Donations in his memory can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Washington State Chapter or Bothell United Methodist Church.

Share your memories and condolences online at the funeral home web page.

Clemson University will honor Frank Matthews for his more than three decades of outstanding contributions as co-founder, CEO and publisher of Diverse: Issues In Higher Education.

Matthews, a Clemson Alum, spent his career telling the compelling stories of students, educators and communities, while bringing a national spotlight on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion.

The event will take place 2 p.m. Monday Sept. 23 at the Watt Family Innovation Center auditorium. Contact Leslie Doss at ldoss@clemson.edu with questions.

Learn more about the event on the university calendar.

Endowed by the Great Class of 1939, the Clemson University Class of ’39 Award for Excellence is presented annually to one distinguished member of the Clemson faculty whose outstanding contributions to students, the university, and/or the local/national/international community for the past five-year period have been judged by his/her peers to represent the highest achievement of academic excellence. The award recipient becomes an honorary member of the class and earns a monetary award equal to the value of $5,000 in 1989 (approximately $10,500) – the year the Award for Excellence was established. Recipients are recognized at one of the December graduation ceremonies and in a January 14 or February 11 ceremony at the ’39 Bell Tower in the Carillon Gardens.

To be eligible for the award, a faculty member must be an active, tenured faculty member with at least five years of faculty service at Clemson University. Visit the Class of ’39 Award for Excellence page for complete details and a nomination form. Completed materials are due to the Provost’s Office by noon, Friday, October 18, 2019.

Characterized by remarkable service to Clemson University, the community, the state, and the nation, The Great Class of 1939 established the Award for Excellence in 1989 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the class and to recognize and to inspire faculty service above and beyond expectations.

For questions, contact your department chair, dean, or Dr. Chelsea Waugaman, university faculty governance coordinator in the Faculty Senate office (senate@clemson.edu).

The University Professional Internship & Co-Op (UPIC) program will continue to accept nominations from departments and mentors for spring 2020 internship experiences. Do you need additional help in your office or department? Do you have interesting projects or assignments that would provide a professional experience for a Clemson student? Do you have a current UPIC intern you’d like to bring back?

The UPIC program provides:
-student intern assistance in University offices,
-a limited number of 50 percent matching funds for the intern salary, and
-mentored professional development to Clemson students.

The deadline for all departments to submit spring 2020 internship proposals is Oct. 1, 2019. Applications received after the deadline will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. To apply, complete the  “Site Application and Position Description” form.

The on-campus internship program is a vital part of the creation of a campus-wide culture in which students participate in meaningful and relevant developmental experiences. Internship postings will be available for students to apply to in ClemsonJobLink starting mid-October. For more information, visit the UPIC Program website.

On Friday, August 30 from noon until 2 p.m., U.S. Army veterans and Purple Heart recipients, Greg Quarles and Ross Alewine, will visit Clemson University during their 350-mile journey across the state of South Carolina to raise awareness and support of veteran resources.

There will be a short talk by both men, after which Clemson’s Military and Veterans Engagement team will present them with a small gift. Anyone wishing to attend should be at the Scroll of Honor in Memorial Park between noon and 12:30 p.m.

Both Greg and Ross have incredible experiences and Clemson’s Military and Veterans Engagement team invites you to meet them and hear their incredible stories. We’re hoping for a good crowd to welcome them to Clemson and the Upstate!

[vid origin=”youtube” vid_id=”lH-nTiiqYa8″ size=”medium” align=”right”]

Traffic at the corner of Fort Hill Street and Calhoun Drive is notorious for its bottleneck, often backing traffic up on Fort Hill through core campus and on Calhoun Drive back to Hwy. 93. Drivers and pedestrians alike are asked to exercise caution at this intersection, especially during high-traffic times around class changes.

In an effort to alleviate traffic buildup headed toward Hwy. 93 and discourage vehicles from using Fort Hill Street as a cut-through of campus, left turns from Fort Hill onto Calhoun will be prohibited between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on weekdays beginning Friday, August 29. CUPD officers will be present to provide moving citations to anyone – in a vehicle, moped or golf cart – who violates the no left turn policy by driving around the barrier in place.

Campus officials will continue to monitor the intersection, as well as other high-traffic areas, to determine other actions needed.

Just in time for the beginning of the academic year, the University Testing and Education Center (UTEC) is up and running and has ramped up its capacity and range of services. The UTEC supports and promotes the University’s educational mission by providing facility resources for academic groups and centralized proctored testing services for students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding community.

Located on the second floor of Vickery Hall (map), the UTEC now has the capacity to provide individual “proctored” testing services for up to 60 students at any given time, with additional conference and programming spaces for large group testing as needed. While the focus will remain on supporting accommodated testing in coordination with Student Accessibility Services, the Center will now provide proctored testing for new freshmen and transfer students taking the Clemson Math Placement Test and all students taking distance learning courses.

This fall, the center will begin the process of pursuing certification from the National College Testing Association and, as a Pearson Vue Testing Service Center, it will provide testing services for more than 450 credentialed certification exams from organizations and societies around the world.

The UTEC will continue to grow and expand the testing services provided to meet the needs of Clemson University and the surrounding community.

Learn more about the UTEC at https://www.clemson.edu/academics/utec/.

By Bridget G. Trogden, Ph.D., associate dean, Undergraduate Studies

Many backgrounds, one goal. More than 150 Clemson faculty, academic staff and students from all University colleges and most departments gathered last Wednesday for the first General Education Program retreat, with the goal of examining how to improve the undergraduate General Education curriculum.

Hosted by the Division of Undergraduate Studies and the Faculty General Education Committee, with assistance from the Office of Teaching Effectiveness & Innovation (OTEI) and the University Libraries, the event was the first of this year’s General Education curriculum re-envisioning activities, which falls under the ClemsonForward strategic plan.

For bioengineering major Aparna Mahendranath, who chairs the Academic Affairs Committee for Clemson Undergraduate Student Government, the retreat was “eye-opening.”

“After looking at the statistical trends, I believe that the General Education program needs to shift its focus to promoting the understanding of diverse perspectives, evaluating through reasoning, and connecting the curriculum to everyday experiences,” she explained. “Debates, discussions and complete transparency are a few ways I think the curriculum could emphasize these principles, while adapting to our campus’ environment, students and faculty dynamic.”

Other action items for the day involved discussions around the purpose of a General Education curriculum and the national trend away from a cafeteria-style list of lower-division classes. Participants examined assessment and survey data about our undergraduate students’ curriculum-based learning. They were also able to attend sessions about open education resources and assignment design.

“I enjoyed the fact that the event was an open-ended discussion of the factors that go into what General Education is all about,” said Chad Sosolik, professor of Physics & Astronomy and undergraduate curriculum coordinator. “We were able to look at data, but also think about what goes into that data in ways we hadn’t considered before. The retreat attracted so many people – faculty of all ranks, staff, students – who don’t always get to talk to each other about student learning.”

While curricular change of this scope is not fast or easy, keeping the momentum going could be a game-changer for undergraduate education. As for next steps, the faculty General Education Committee will examine the feedback from colleagues and use it to craft a proposal for further consideration.