B Y: G L EN D A HE N S L E Y
NO V EM B E R 11 , 2 0 13
Special Report: Connect the Dots!
How do we connect the elements that make higher education so rewarding? As members of the academy
(students and educators) we have unique opportunities to integrate learning and life; to intersect with other
perspectives and ways of knowing -- and to become richer in the process. This issue features a few such
engagements – recent past and on the horizon.
Connect the Dots – an Exhibit by the Creative Life LLC
Gallery 130 of the Fine Art Museum
Bardo Arts Center --- November 14 – 21
Opening & Reception
Thursday, November 14, 2013
4:00-6:00 pm
Atrium Star Lobby & Gallery 130
Please join us for an evening reception and entertainment
Works by first-year students express how they connect the
dots – in their learning and their life; how they connect the
past to the present and vision the future.
FIND US ON FACEBOOK!
http://tinyurl.com/CreativeLife2013
Family Table
WHEE Call U!
This year’s WHEE Call U campaign is officially over! WCU Catamounts have collectively communicated with
almost all of our new 1623 freshmen students. 62 faculty/staff volunteers and 24 Entourage students have sent
over 300 emails and spoken directly to or left voice mails for over 1200 students. The FYE office is currently
working on scanning the reports one last time to try to insure we reached every student. We are also working
with the Office of Academic Initiatives for suggested follow-ups to make sure our new Catamounts know that we
are vested in their success and here to help them as they continue their climb. Many thanks to our volunteers
for making this a success and for your commitment to WCU first-year students!
Now—who is ready for the spring campaign….. 
Perspectives
EYE on FYE – the 4th annual contest is underway!
Please encourage your students to submit their creative expressions to the FYE
office before the semester ends! Rules and information about this year’s
theme, Connect the Dots is on the FYE Website
** Click the camera for this video trailer about this year’s contest.
As one of their first-year learning outcomes, the contest theme provides a unique opportunity for students to
creatively demonstrate how they have accomplished this university goal - and perhaps provides you with a
different twist on a final course evaluation…… just a thought- 
All first-year students are welcome to enter. If you have questions about the contest or need ideas about how
to integrate it into your course, please feel free to contact me at ghensley@email.wcu.edu
Tool Box--- Connect the Dots
Learning Goal
“Connect The Dots”
Assessment Activities:
“You The Super Hero”
Short Film/ Presentation
Learning Activities:
Connecting personal interests/ abilities,
academics, co-curricular activities, etc.
Activity- “You the Super Hero”
From John Schweikart, WCU International Programs
Write a short script for a video/ power-point or other interactive media form on how you became the super
hero that you are today.
Steps1) Using your own personal background, history, interests, abilities, academics, and co-curricular activitiesdevelop a storyline of how your specific powers and abilities make you a new and unique super hero. You
are not Superman, Wonder Woman, or any other previous heroic character- you are you with only the
powers and abilities you actually have!
2) Show in detail how you came to realize who you are and what your powers are that enable you to make a
change in the world? In particular, answer the following:
a. How did you adapt to this new realization and what do you see as your responsibilities in using your
powers?
b. What events, people, situations, have been critical in enabling you to discover your powers, and how do
you plan on contributing to society?
c. What particular challenges must you face with your powers? What things or situations rob you of your
powers to do good?
d. How are you going to share your super powers with the world? Who are your allies going to be and who
or what are going to be your enemies?
e. What is your motto as a Super Hero? What values are central to this motto and why is this is an essential
part of who you are?
Students will present their short 5 min. videos/multimedia presentations to the class- and the class will ask
questions about why each student feels the way they do, and then the class will discuss who has powers in
common and who has powers that could be complimentary to others in the class, and then as a whole we will
discuss what we could set as a goal we all want to reach by working together.
The CORE:
The Education Briefcase
An open letter from the eBriefcase team:
Faculty and Staff:
We all recognize that student portfolios are a useful tool to help students integrate varied educational
experiences and to reflect on the impact of those experiences on their education. The Education Briefcase
(eBriefcase), an on-line portfolio tool, was developed as part of WCU’s first Quality Enhancement Plan to help
programs take advantage of the portfolio approach to promoting integration of learning. The eBriefcase is
located within the Blackboard Learning Management System and is available to all students, faculty, and staff.
Robust technical and pedagogical support is in place for both students and faculty through the Technology
Commons and the Coulter Faculty Commons.
The eBriefcase has been introduced to students over the past four years in their first year composition courses
and in transition courses. A few programs have embraced the electronic portfolio concept and have fully
incorporated the eBriefcase into their students’ educations. Some instructors have integrated the eBriefcase
into single courses in a more limited, but still effective way.
Just as the Quality Enhancement Plan and its learning outcomes have become integrated into our institutional
culture, so is the eBriefcase available to anyone who wishes to use it to support integration of the QEP learning
outcomes. We hope that you will continue to explore the power and scope of this tool in supporting your
students’ educational experience. Visit the eBriefcase inside of Blackboard for tutorials, sample portfolios, and
on-line support (click the “My eBriefcase” tab on far right of the gray bar at the top of the Blackboard opening
page). Feel free to contact the eBriefcase Implementation Team if you have questions, or contact the Coulter
Faculty Commons to explore possibilities.
Nory Prochaska, Chair, eBriefcase Implementation Team
Laura Dinunzio, Technical Support for Students, Technology Assistance Center
Carol Burton, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Studies
CEO Reminders---Calendars – Events – Opportunities
CALENDARS
Student Life Calendar: For a complete listing of what's going on for students from intramurals, to concerts and
lectures, to organizations, arts and culture, and so much more....
Events Calendar: Information on arts and culture at WCU - plays, concerts, art exhibits, films, and more...
Service Learning: Current Events
ACE: Arts and Cultural Events Calendar
Coulter Faculty Commons Calendar
National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week November 17-23
National Education Week ---November 18-22 -- Contact Chris Pedo for more information
EVENTS
th
5 Annual Native American Heritage Expo
November 11-13 in the UC Grand Room
Understanding our Past, Shaping our Future
Exhibition – 1 day only
th
Monday November 11 from 8am-5pm
UC Grand Room
The Real Space Cowboys
Insights & Reflections
th
Thursday, November 14 at 2pm
UC Theatre
OPPORTUNITIES
Service Matters
WCU Employees- Use your time to make a difference!
Did you know that you can receive paid time off for volunteering in the community? All full-time EPA and SPA
staff members are eligible for 24 hours Community Service Leave per calendar year.
Food Security --- WCU making a difference!
Student Support Services is sponsoring a non-perishable food drive to support The Community Table of Jackson
County. The CTO is in dire need of donations therefore, your support is greatly appreciated. Donated items will
be delivered to CTO on Monday, November 25th. If you wish to donate, items can be dropped off in the SSS main
office. For more information contact Jacqueline Owens or Becky Lindsay.
http://www.communitytable.org/
http://www.communitytable.org/documents/wishlist1.pdf
Ripple on……
The Ripple Effect Learning Community is sponsoring a food drive to help children in Jackson County!
The following items are needed and can be delivered through November 25 to our classroom each Monday in
Killian 116 from 2:30-3:20:
1. Packages of crackers - preferably the cheese crackers, avoid peanut butter cracker packs. These can be
the larger cracker packages (6 to a pack) or even the smaller ones (4 to a pack)
2. Fruit cups - especially the mandarin orange ones!
3. Nutrition bars - prefer the fruit Nutribars or Kellogg's bars.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Cereal - anything that is not TOO sugary (avoid Fruit loops, etc.)
Small 3 ounce boxes of apple juice
Instant oatmeal or grits
Goldfish crackers
Fruit gummies - not the candy kind - the fruit juice type.
Applesauce
Backpacks! They are in desperate need of these, they will even accept gently used ones!
It is our goal to have these items ready to deliver the Tuesday BEFORE Thanksgiving. Items may also be
delivered to me in HHS 314. Thank you in advance for your support of this project!
Ripple on~Rebecca (Lasher)
Spring Break in Jamaica!
This civic engagement and service learning trip is open to all majors, both
undergraduate and graduate students.
To learn more, contact Dr. Victoria Faircloth victoria@email.wcu.edu
Groups offered by Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)
See the CAPS website to learn more about the free and confidential weekly groups offered by Counseling &
Psychological Services (CAPS). This semester our offerings address a variety of concerns that may impact your
students. Please take a look at the details and let your students know about the availability of this resource.
1960’s: Take it All In!
WCU’s 2013-2014 Interdisciplinary Theme
Magical Mystery Tour, Beatles, 1967
Who: The Inquisitive
(Not sure what the 60’s were about? Check these links out for some ideas:
Pinterest (1960’s); Facebook Page (1960’s); Event Calendar (1960’s); The 1960’s WCU Page
What: The WCU Magical Mystery Tour (of the 60’s)
A showcase of important social, political, technological, scientific, and of course musical and
artistic feats of humanity that were achieved or endured during “The Sixties”.
When: Thursday, January 30, 2014 – 5:00 pm-7:00 pm
Where: Ramsey Center Concourse Area
Why: To witness and investigate what the decade offers for learning, contemplation, exploration, and
scholarship within your respective disciplines!
How: There are two ways to get involved with The WCU Magical Mystery Tour Show up on the evening of the
event, and soak it all in! If this sounds more like you – click here: TAKE THE TOUR
Career Services Peer Career Mentors!
Peer Career Mentors offer students on-location guidance and support from their Mobile Mentoring Station at
locations across campus. They can critique resumes, teach students how to search for jobs, showcase resources
like Perfect Interview and Focus 2, and help research careers. Please look for their yellow table, and refer
students to the PCMs for help with any of these tasks. Their schedule for the semester is here
PEAKS Potty Times
Western Carolina PEAKS disseminates a newsletter called the Potty Times every two-three weeks which includes
toilet teasers, words of wisdom, campus events, etc. If you would like for us to advertise a specific event in the
calendar section, please send me an e-mail with what you would like included. I will need the information the
Tuesday before each week that one goes to print. Contact Laura Ansley, Department of Residential Living.
• November 17 - December 1 – Need information by November 12
• December 1 - December 13 – Need information by November 26
Resource File
Blackboard --- reference and participate in the Transition Pathways Course site....
Education Briefcase – resources and information for students and for faculty……….
CFC on the Web --- help with teaching, technology, and more--- helping you do what you do better!
OrgSync --- the place for student clubs and organizations and other co-curricular opportunities .
First-Year Seminar: Liberal Studies – resource guide for faculty teaching the first-year seminar …
Transition Pathways: An instructor resource - resource guide for FYE transition course instructors …
FYE on the Web --- many resources and network links to help you along the way …..
FYE Message Board – A weekly e-journal for and by FY students.
Engage students in the conversation of learning and experience – with each other!
The next regular publication date is November 1, 2013 --- please let me know if you want to
share updates about programs, events, or other opportunities for teaching and learning in FYE!
Glenda Hensley, FYE Director ghensley@wcu.edu