Issues – CCBP | The University of Alabama

Winds of Change open house 4/19

April 19th, 2012
in Events, Issues, News

Tonight is the public open house for Winds of Change: Youth perspectives on Community Recovery at Holt High School in the auditorium from 6:30 to 8:30. The Winds of Change program is a set of interactive exhibits for youth and by youth related to the youth’s experience of the April 27 tornado and possibilities for community recovery. Over 500 Holt area youth have been participating each day this week and sharing their views. Tonight’s open house is for the community. Drop in at any point during the open house tonight to see what the youth have been up to! Further information is attached.

To view a PDF of the Winds of Change program, click here.

African-American Heritage

July 15th, 2010
in Issues, News

African-American Heritage Month at UA will Reflect History, Unity

January 29, 2009

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama Crossroads Community Center invites the campus and community to participate in the observance of African-American Heritage Month events throughout February.

The purpose of AAHM is to affirm, recognize and appreciate the heritage, struggles, achievements, progress and diversity of African-Americans, says Brice Miller, assistant director of Crossroads Community Center at UA.

The 83rd celebration of AAHM is an opportunity for the entire community to appreciate the contributions of African-Americans while also celebrating a theme of unity, Miller notes. During this time, the community reflects on the many ways African-Americans have shaped the nation’s history.

An African-American scholar, Carter G. Woodson, created and promoted Negro History Week in February 1926. He chose the week to correspond to the respective birthdays of Frederick Douglass, an ex-slave and slavery abolitionist, and President Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, the week-long celebration expanded to one month.

Now, the annual observance provides an opportunity to highlight features of the rich African-American experience, Miller says. "The campus AAHM observance allows us to recognize and address the range and diversity of contributions African-Americans have made to our UA community," he adds.

A list of AAHM events on campus includes:

Every Friday Morning

Children's activities: storytelling, motivational speakers, classroom activities and more
Brewer Porch Children's Center
Sponsored by Brewer Porch Children's Center

Library Photo Exhibit, month of February
Do you know your famous African-American Alabamians?
Gorgas Library exhibit cases, Capstone entrance
Sponsored by University Libraries

Ferguson Center Photo Exhibit, month of February
What is the Alabama Experience? An African-American Perspective
Crossroads Lounge, 232 Ferguson Center
Sponsored by Student Involvement and Leadership, Crossroads Community Center, Black Student Union and University Printing
African-American Heritage Month Read-In, Monday, Feb. 2, 5:30 p.m.
Crossroads Lounge, 232 Ferguson Center
Sponsored by the Women's Resource Center, Pi Beta Phi and Delta Sigma Theta

First Wednesdays @ Crossroads, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 11:30 a.m. -1 p.m.
Crossroads Lounge, 232 Ferguson Center
Sponsored by Pepsi, Crossroads Community Center and University Programs

Jerry Ward: The Katrina Papers, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 4 p.m.
Author, professor, African-American scholar Jerry Ward, will speak about and read from his recent book The Katrina Papers. Question and answer, book signing and reception to follow talk. 205 Gorgas Library
Host: Creative Campus Initiative
Sponsored by Crossroads Community Center, New College, African-American studies program, Bankhead Visiting Writers Series and University Libraries

REAL Talk, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 5 p.m.
204-B Ferguson Center
Sponsored by Blackburn Institute, Crossroads Community Center and Sustained Dialogue

Heart Healthy Eating Information Table, Thursday, Feb. 5, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Ferguson Center near Starbucks
Sponsored by Health Promotion and Wellness Office

Community Conversation with Jerry Ward and Brice Miller, Thursday, Feb. 5, noon
Author of The Katrina Papers and assistant director of Crossroads Community Center and son of New Orleans. Campus community discussion about personal experiences during Hurricane Katrina with a facilitating panel.
301 Morgan Hall
Host: Creative Campus Initiative
Sponsors: Crossroads Community Center and New College

Guess Who Is Coming to Dinner, Thursday, Feb. 5, 7 p.m.

Residential Hall Locations
Bryant Community "“ Bryce Lawn 500/101
Apartment Community "“ Lobby of Rose Towers
Lakeside Community "“
Feb. 5 – Lakeside East 4th floor
Feb. 19 – Lakeside East 4th floor
Feb. 26 – Lakeside West 4th floor
Tutwiler Community "“ Tut Hut
Colonial Community "“ Harris Common Room
Riverside Community "“ Riverside Community Center
Ridgecrest Community "“ 2nd floor kitchen/TV lounge of Ridgecrest East.
Paty Community "“ Paty TV Room
Hackberry Community "“ Parham Living Room

First Friday at Crossroads/Mix-It-Up, Intercultural Networking, Friday, Feb. 6, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Crossroads Lounge, 232 Ferguson Center
Sponsored by Black Student Union and Freshman Forum
Co-Sponsored by Student Alumni Association

Academic Integrity Week, Feb. 9-13

Cabin in the Sky, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 6 p.m.
116 ten Hoor Hall
Sponsored by Eta Chi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.

Chuck D, Rapper/Activist, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 7 p.m.
Ferguson Theater
Sponsored by University Programs

Brown Bag Lecture featuring Amalia Amaki, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 12:30 p.m.
"Double Consciousness in Three-D: Sculptor Nancy Elizabeth Prophet as a Negro Renaissance Model and Why It Matters Today"
308 Manly Hall
Sponsored by Women's Resource Center and Department of Women's Studies

REAL Talk, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 5 p.m.
Ferguson Center, Anderson Room
Sponsored by Blackburn Institute, Crossroads Community Center, and Sustained Dialogue

Selma, Lord, Selma, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m.
Ferguson Center, Room 100, Campus Programs Lounge
Sponsored by the Kappa Alpha chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.

Heart Healthy Eating Information Table, Thursday, Feb. 12, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Ferguson Center near Starbucks
Sponsored by Health Promotion and Wellness Office

Community Conversation with Beverly Hawk and Brice Miller, "Understanding the Value of Integrity," Thursday, Feb. 12, 4 p.m.
Crossroads Lounge, 232 Ferguson Center
Sponsored by Crossroads Community Center and Academic Integrity Week

Movie: Four Little Girls, Thursday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m.
30 ten Hoor Hall
Sponsored by: Student Government Association, New Student and Parent Programs, African-American Studies and Housing and Residential Communities

NAACP Centennial Celebration, Thursday, Feb. 12, 6-8 p.m.
100 Ferguson Center, Campus Programs Lounge
Sponsored by the NAACP

Black Law Student Association Community Service Project, Sunday, Feb. 15, 3-7 p.m.
Painting the gym at the Boys and Girls Club in Alberta City
Sponsored by Black Student Union and co-sponsored by the Ferguson Center

Potluck Luncheon Celebrating African-American Heritage Month, Monday, Feb. 16, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Little Hall, Student Lounge
Sponsored by the School of Social Work

Four Little Girls, Monday, Feb. 16, 5 p.m.
205 Gorgas Library
Sponsored by Student Government Association, New Student and Parent Programs, African-American Studies, Housing and Residential Communities, and the Black Law Students Association

Speaker: Dr. Shirley Wesley King, "A Survivor's Story: The Birmingham Church Bombing," Monday, Feb. 16, 7 p.m.
205 Gorgas Library
Sponsored by Student Government Association, New Student and Parent Programs, African American Studies, Housing and Residential Communities, and the Black Law Students Association

Black Women On: The Light, Dark Thang, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 6 p.m.
Ferguson Theater
Sponsored by Women's Resource Center and Housing and Residential Communities

Hip Hop Summit Panel Discussion: Exploring Hip Hop's Global influences on Cultures, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 3-5 p.m.
Ferguson Center Forum, Room 360
Sponsored by Ferguson Center Student Union, NAACP, Black Student Union, Counseling Center, Community Service Center, Crossroads Community Center

Hip Hop Summit Common Ground Poetry Slam Competition, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 8 p.m.
Ferguson Center, Heritage Room
Sponsored by Ferguson Center Student Union, Common Ground, SquareRoot, Counseling Center, Speak the Speech and Crossroads Community Center

Heart Healthy Eating Information Table, Thursday, Feb. 19, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Ferguson Center near Starbucks
Sponsored by Health Promotion and Wellness Office

Crash, Thursday, Feb. 19, 7 p.m.
*See Feb. 5 for list of locations
Sponsored by Housing and Residential Communities

Hip-Hop Summit Main Event, Thursday, Feb. 19, 8-10 p.m.
Ferguson Center Ballroom
Host: Ferguson Center Student Union
Sponsored by Ferguson Center Student Union, NAACP, Black Student Union, Counseling Center, Community Service Center and Crossroads Community Center

Annual African-American Heritage Month Colloquium, Friday, Feb. 20, 2-3:30 p.m.
Theme: Community Organizing and the Social Work Profession
Speakers: Dr. Harriett Ivory Means and Elbert Lee Means, community activist
223 Little Hall, Reception following in the Student Lounge
Sponsored by School of Social Work

Don't Forget the Lyrics: UA Hip Hop Edition, Feb. 20, 7-10 p.m.
Ferguson Theater
Sponsored by Black Student Union

History of African-American Tuscaloosa Tour, Sunday, Feb. 22, 1-5 p.m.
Bus Tour Price: $3 Students, $5 Non-Students
(Bus leaves from Foster Auditorium. Sign-up in the SGA office on the main floor of the Ferguson Center.)
Sponsored by Black Student Union, Student Government Association, African-American Graduate Students Association and the Crimson Ride

Annual State of the Black Union Address, Sunday, Feb. 22, 6 p.m.
205 Gorgas Library
Sponsored by NAACP

"Race, Politics and Media in the Age of Obama", Monday, Feb. 23, 7 p.m.
Speaker: Mayor Larry Langford of Birmingham
125 ten Hoor Hall
Sponsored by the Capstone Association of Black Journalists

Book Discussion: Great Speeches by African-Americans: Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Barack Obama, and Others., Tuesday, Feb. 24, 6-8 p.m.
100 Ferguson Center, Campus Programs Lounge
Sponsored by the Ferguson Center

REAL Talk, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 5 p.m.
Ferguson Center, Anderson Room
Sponsored by Blackburn Institute, Crossroads Community Center and Sustained Dialogue

Every Woman Book Club: "Beloved" by Toni Morrison, Thursday, Feb. 26, noon
The Globe Restaurant in Northport
Sponsored by the Women's Resource Center

An Evening with Paul R. Jones, "Preserving the Legacy of African-American Artists," Thursday, Feb. 26, 5:30-7 p.m.
205 Gorgas Library
Sponsored by the Black Faculty and Staff Association

The Great Debaters, Thursday, Feb. 26, 7 p.m.
*See Feb. 5 for list of locations
Sponsored by Housing and Residential Communities

"What is the Alabama Experience? An African-American Perspective," Friday, Feb. 27, 2 p.m.
Crossroads Lounge, 232 Ferguson
Sponsored by Crossroads Community Center, the Ferguson Center and the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership

Saturday, Feb. 28, 7:30 a.m., Trip to National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, Tenn.
$51 per person, leaves from Law School Parking Lot
Contact muhammad.abdullah@law.ua.edu for more information
Sponsored by Black Law Student Association

All events are open to the public. For more information, contact the UA Crossroads Community Center at 205/348-6930 or stop by the office in 232 Ferguson Center; also go online to www.crossroads.ua.edu for updates.

Crossroads Community Center is an initiative of the UA Office of Community Affairs under the direction of Dr. Samory Pruitt, providing campus leadership in the areas of cultural and intercultural education by facilitating relationship-building across cultures through innovative programs and initiatives.

The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is in the midst of a planned, steady enrollment growth with a goal of reaching 28,000 students by 2010. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state’s economy, is in keeping with UA’s vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state’s flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.

Carnegie Picks Alabama for Engagement Status

July 15th, 2010
in Issues, News

The Division of Community Affairs marked a proud day in its 5-year history with the announcement in January 2009 that the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has awarded The University of Alabama its Community Engagement Classification.

The designation recognizes UA as one of the nation's premiere institutions in community-engaged scholarship. It doing so the Foundation underscores UA's commitment to community partnerships that integrate the campus' traditional teaching, research and service mission.

"This designation is a significant honor for The University of Alabama," said Dr. Samory Pruitt, UA vice president for community affairs. "The classification gives some well-deserved recognition to UA's long history of community involvement, but it also symbolizes the beginning of a new commitment to scholarship and outreach involving service learning and community partnerships."

The Carnegie Foundation recognizes institutions in the categories of Curricular Engagement, Outreach/Partnerships or both. UA's designation is for both areas.

Curricular engagement describes teaching, learning and scholarship that unite faculty, students and community in mutually beneficial and respectful collaboration. Their interactions address community-identified needs, deepen students' civic and academic learning, enhance community well-being and enrich the scholarship of the institution in its many forms.

Outreach/Partnerships focuses on the application and provision of institutional resources for community use with benefits to both campus and community, and on collaborative interactions with community and related scholarship for the mutually beneficial exchange, exploration and application of knowledge, information and resources.

In addition to the Carnegie classification, UA is a member of the National Outreach Scholarship Consortium, an organization of nine leading universities that stress the unity of teaching, research and service. Others are the University of Georgia, the University of Kentucky, Michigan State, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and the University of Wisconsin-Extension.

UA published the first edition of the Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship (JCES) in October. The peer-reviewed journal provides a vehicle for higher education professionals, students and community partners to disseminate scholarly works from all academic disciplines. A project of the Council of the Center for Community-Based Partnerships, the journal is edited by Dr. Cassandra Simon, UA associate professor of social work.

UA was one of 119 U.S. colleges and universities identified to receive the Community Engagement Classification in December 2008. UA's Carnegie Engagement Application committee reviewed literally hundreds of outreach projects and the scholarship growing out of those projects from throughout the University to identify examples of community engagement partnerships to include in the application. A broad range of partnerships was highlighted in the application. They included:

The Center for Community-Based Partnerships, an initiative of the Office of Community Affairs that connects faculty, staff, students and community partners in research-based projects designed to solve chronic problems identified by communities
The Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility, which prepares students to serve as effective, engaged and ethical citizens
The Brewer Porch Children's Center, in which the UA department of psychology works with government agencies, community health centers and private counseling agencies to provide comprehensive treatment for behaviorally disturbed children, adolescents and families
The Education Policy Center, which develops leadership skills of school administrators
The Alabama Productivity Center, which assists businesses, local governments and state agencies with economic development.

Dr. Carolyn Dahl, dean of the College of Continuing Studies, and Dr. Stephen Katsinas, professor of higher education and director of the Education Policy Center, co-chaired application committee. Other members included Pruitt, Gary Creek, assistant vice president for marketing, Janet Griffith, assistant provost for communications, Lorne Kuffel, executive director of Institutional Research and Assessment, Dr. Edward Mullins, CCBP communications coordinator, and Becky Reamey, coordinator of the Blackburn Institute.

Summer program preps children for college, careers

July 15th, 2010
in Issues, News

June 25th, 2008

By Matt Hawk Staff Writer

TUSCALOOSA | For many high school students in Alabama's poorer counties, attending college is not a dream. It's not even a consideration.

A new program co-sponsored by the University of Alabama Office of Community Development and the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration aims to change that.

Called Youth Entrepreneurship Week, the program puts 22 students selected from high schools throughout West Alabama and the Black Belt through a weeklong summer camp at the university designed to introduce participants to the possibilities that come with a college education.

"We have people who have been trained by their circumstances and their environment to think that's all there is," said David Ford, professor of management and marketing at UA. "[The program] is a way to expand their horizons."

Called Youth Entrepreneurship Week, which began Monday and lasts through Friday, includes seminars on topics ranging from admission requirements and various ways of obtaining financial aid to business-specific topics like marketing, e-commerce, teamwork and leadership skills development.

Participants are also treated to tours of the university and Tuscaloosa and given a chance to spend time with both faculty and local business owners.

Of the 22 students participating, about half have expressed definite interest in college. Ford hopes the program will raise that number, but also said entrepreneurial skills are important to students who choose to forgo college.

"If you don't want to move out of your small community or think college is not for you, you can still be an entrepreneur," Ford said.

Brittany Jordan, a student at Robert C. Hatch High School in Uniontown, said her interests lie in secondary education and English. For her, the best part of the camp so far has been the exposure to college life.

"I enjoy the college classroom settings," Jordan said.

Gregory Singleton, head of student services for UA's department of engineering and a speaker at one of the camp's Tuesday seminars, said that kind of exposure can be invaluable to a prospective student.

"Many of [these students] may not have ever been on a college campus or … spent the night in a college environment," Singleton said. "They get to see a lot of things that a lot of students aren't exposed to."

Ford said he hopes to expand the program, which is in its first year, to include speakers from a wider range of college majors, including arts and sciences and communications.

The immediate challenge is finding funding to continue the camp. With the recent tightening of UA's educational budget, that could prove difficult.

"We're hoping to get enough attention to get a grant from the feds or the state," Ford said.

Reach Matt Hawk at matt.hawk@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0213.

JCES to Become Reality This Fall

July 15th, 2010
in Issues, News

New Research Journal to Debut this Fall at UA

April 18, 2008

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A new journal with the mandate of bridging the traditional gaps between teaching, research and service on American campuses will be published at The University of Alabama beginning this fall.

Dr. Samory T. Pruitt, UA vice president for community affairs, said the inaugural editor of the new, quarterly Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship will be Dr. Cassandra E. Simon, UA associate professor of social work. An internationally recruited editorial board and a local production staff will assist her.

Establishing the new journal was the primary goal this year of the Council of the Center for Community-Based Partnerships, Pruitt said. The Council is made up of community partners and faculty, administrators and students from many campus divisions.

"At recent conferences, reaction to the journal has been tremendous," Pruitt said. "In proposing a journal to unify the too-often disparate teaching/research/service forces in higher education, we have struck an enthusiastically responsive chord with academic, nonprofit, governmental, business and local communities."

Dr. Joe Benson, UA interim vice president for research and a principal adviser to the committee charged with developing JCES, said: "The scholarship of engagement is a new and rapidly evolving theory-based discipline, and The University of Alabama is pleased to be able to assist in providing a venue for the publication of outcomes of this exciting and important research area."

Pruitt said the University was very fortunate to have Simon "step forward to accept this important position in our mission to advance engagement scholarship."

On being named editor, Simon said, "It is an honor to be editor of a journal positioned as a leader in engagement scholarship. And, it is an even greater honor to be associated with so many outstanding scholars who are determined to make it a success. I look forward to publishing our first issue in fall 2008."

A recent announcement to the campus about the journal described it as "a mechanism through which faculty, staff and students of academic institutions and their community partners disseminate scholarly works from all academic disciplines with the goal of integrating teaching, research and community engagement."

"The engagement approach to scholarship occurs when universities and communities combine resources and talent and bring them to bear on critical problems they jointly identify. It is not the same as the older service model, which limited the roles of student and community members. In the engagement paradigm — inspired by the Kellogg Commission of 1999 ("Returning to our Roots: The Engaged University") — community representatives and students play key roles, alongside faculty, in choosing research topics, design, methods, objectives and in publishing the results," Simon said.

Another major difference in the engagement approach, she said, is that research, teaching and outreach activities are closely linked.

Simon joined the UA faculty in 2000 after receiving her doctorate from the University of Texas-Arlington. She has published in both social work and interdisciplinary journals with an emphasis on health care disparities and related issues.

While JCES will use standard peer-review practices, it will not be "your grandfather's research journal," said retired UA journalism professor Edward Mullins, who will be production editor of the journal.

"JCES will take advantage of new technology, community talent, student creativity and innovative graphics and presentation techniques rarely seen in academic publishing," Mullins said. "For example, a study of the learning, psychological and physical effects on inner-city and rural youth in projects involving the performing arts, engineering and journalism might supplement traditional text with photo galleries and audio and video coordinated with the text and posted to the journal's Web site."

Manuscripts and questions should be sent to Simon at jces@ua.edu. Deadline for fall 2008 submissions is July 31. For more information see www.jces.ua.edu.

The initial 14-member board includes scholars in a wide range of disciplines — rural medicine, environmental resources, leadership and change, minority health, renewable energy, child and family resources, nursing, ethics, forensic engineering and others.

The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is in the midst of a planned, steady enrollment growth with a goal of reaching 28,000 students by 2010. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state’s economy, is in keeping with UA’s vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state’s flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.

One shot at a time – Program helps students document life in Black Belt

July 8th, 2010
in Issues, News

January 21, 2008

Tuscaloosa News
By Adam Jones

LIVINGSTON | As a child, Destynni Burrell played outside a hunting lodge near her house. She never thought much of it until she was handed a camera and told to document life in the Black Belt.

"It's been there my whole life, but when I finally looked at it, I saw something more," said the Livingston High School student.

Burrell was one of 15 students from seventh to 11th grades in Sumter County selected to participate in "Black Belt 100 lenses," a project aimed to get teenagers to think about their culture and region by taking pictures of whatever they believed showed their life and community.

An exhibit of the pictures opened last week and will be on display at the Webb Gallery at the University of West Alabama through March 1.

The exhibit shows a broad range of life in the rural county near the Mississippi border. One shows a boy getting on the school bus just after dawn. Another is a black and white capture of two abandoned antique gas pumps.

There is a picture of a family gathered around the table at Thanksgiving, the turkey ready for carving. There is a pot of field peas, some not shelled, in black and white. Another shows smiling children in the back pews of their church before or after a service.

"This is an untainted version of what the Black Belt is because chil dren don't sugar coat anything," said Felicia Jones, with the Black Belt

Community Foundation, which sponsored the project along with the University of Alabama.

Elliot Knight, the University of Alabama graduate student who helped lead the project, said each student approached the project differently. Some went out with a more artistic eye hoping to show social issues, while others took shots of potholes or run-down structures in hopes of bringing attention to their community.

For Burrell and a few others, they stuck close to home.

"I went a lot of places to take pictures, but I realized the most beautiful things are near my house," she said. "The pictures they used were just a few feet from my house."

Kate Bonner, a student at Sumter Academy, said she nearly gave up on the assignment, but was encouraged to look harder by her mom.

"I took this as an opportunity to look beyond my little world of cheerleading and sports," she said.

Students were selected through guidance counselors and English teachers, and met with Knight and Whitney Green, arts coordinator for the Black Belt Community Foundation, to go over basic photography this summer. Given point-and-shoot film cameras, the students took color photos and met again to discuss why and how they selected their photos, Knight said. They repeated the project with black and white film.

"A lot of issues start to get exposed, and a diverse group can talk about things that might not normally get talked about," Knight said.

Samory Pruitt, vice president for community affairs at UA, said the project is planned to extend to 12 Black Belt counties. When finished, he envisions an exhibit that tours the state and the photos being bound into a book.

Reach Adam Jones at adam.jones@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0230

UA Announces First Class of New Parent Leadership Academy

July 7th, 2010
in Issues, News

September 17th, 2007

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. "“ The inaugural class of The University of Alabama's new Parent Leadership Academy was introduced Thursday night at a kickoff ceremony at UA's Child Development Research Center.

Those present for the ceremony included Dr. Samory Pruitt, UA vice-president for community affairs; Dr. Sandra Ray, member of the Alabama State Board of Education; Dr. Joyce Levey, superintendent of the Tuscaloosa City Schools; and Dr. Frank Costanzo, superintendent for the Tuscaloosa County Schools.

The Parent Leadership Academy, a joint initiative of Tuscaloosa city and county public schools, the UA Center for Community-Based Partnerships, and faculty in UA's Colleges of Education and Human Environmental Sciences, is a year-long certificate program that aids in developing the leadership potential of parents in the West Alabama area.

2007-08 class members are: Amanda Bearden, Cottondale Elementary; Scottie L. Burden, Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary; Jesse Dixon Jr., Woodland Forrest Elementary; Bryan K. Fair, Rock Quarry Elementary; Donnie Grill, Woodland Forrest; Felicia Gross, Arcadia Elementary; Ingrid Holemon, Arcadia; Robin Holmes, Taylorville Primary; Spike Howard Jr., Faucett-Vestavia Elementary; Roderick Johnson, Matthews Elementary; Elizabeth Lucious, Martin Luther King; Stacie Lunsford, Taylorville; Shanon Lyles, Crestmont Elementary; Dwight Monroe, Rock Quarry; Faye Perry, Oakdale Elementary; Tena Phifer, Crestmont; Juandalyn Smith-Swoope, Oakdale; Brandi Sturdivant, Cottondale; Robin Thornburg, Faucett-Vestavia; and Marie Washington, Matthews.

"These are parents who are active in the schools and represent the best of the best," said Pruitt. "Our hope is that they will continue to remain active in schools, will become more aware of the challenges facing other parents and schools, and will inspire and actively recruit other parents to become more involved."

Similar programs, Pruitt said, have begun across the country. The Tuscaloosa program is believed to be the first in Alabama.

"We see this as a wonderful opportunity to collaborate, educate, and expand the capacity of our school children's parents with support from The University of Alabama, their school system, and community members. Through respect, commitment, creativity, and safety, we see our families totally engaged in the lives of their children, networking with other parents, building a firm foundation for the success of our future…our children," said Levey.

"This Academy will prove to be an excellent resource to build parent leadership as we strive to improve the academic success for all students," said Costanzo.

For more information on the Parent Leadership Academy, contact Dr. Estelle Ryan Clavelli at 205/348-7367 or estelleryan.clavelli@ua.edu.

Inaugural Class for UA’s Parent Leadership Academy to Kickoff Sept. 13

July 7th, 2010
in Issues, News

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. "“ The inaugural class for The University of Alabama's new Parent Leadership Academy has been selected, said Dr. Samory Pruitt, UA vice-president for community affairs.

Known as PLA, the academy is a year-long certificate program that aids in developing the leadership potential of parents in the West Alabama area. It will kickoff its program Thursday, Sept 13 at 5:30 p.m., with a reception and opening session at the Child Development Research Center on the UA campus.

PLA is a joint initiative of Tuscaloosa city and county public schools, the UA Center for Community-Based Partnerships, and faculty in UA's Colleges of Education and Human Environmental Sciences.

Similar programs, Pruitt said, have begun across the country. The Tuscaloosa program is believed to be the first in Alabama.

"PLA has strong support from local schools and the state board of education," said Pruitt, "as well as from community organizations."

"A child’s first teacher is in the home," said Joe Morton, Alabama superintendent of education. "The Parent Leadership Academy is designed to actively engage parents and educators to become active partners. By working together, family, school and community partnerships will be created and strengthened."

"We see this as a wonderful opportunity to collaborate, educate, and expand the capacity of our school children's parents with support from the University of Alabama, their school system, and community members. Through respect, commitment, creativity, and safety, we see our families totally engaged in the lives of their children, networking with other parents, building a firm foundation for the success of our future…our children," said Dr. Joyce Levey, superintendent of the Tuscaloosa City Schools.

"This Academy will prove to be an excellent resource to build parent leadership as we strive to improve the academic success for all students," said Frank Costanzo, superintendent for the Tuscaloosa County Schools.

For more information, contact Dr. Estelle Ryan Clavelli at 205/348-7367 or estelleryan.clavelli@ua.edu.

For interviews, contact: Dr. Samory Pruitt, 205-348-8375, samory.pruitt@ua.edu; Dr. Estelle Ryan Clavelli, 205-348-7367, estelleryan.clavelli@ua.edu

UA Invited to Join Elite Outreach Group

July 7th, 2010
in Issues, News

June 19, 2007

TUSCALOOSA "“ The University of Alabama has been invited to join an elite national organization that recognizes the University's achievements in outreach scholarship.

UA becomes the fifth member of the Outreach Scholarship Partnership (OSP). Others are Ohio State University, the University of Georgia, Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Wisconsin Colleges/University of Wisconsin-Extension. All are national leaders in partnerships that unify teaching, research and service.

"This invitation is significant in that it puts the University on par with the nation's best in outreach scholarship. Further, it gives us resources that will make our programs even stronger," said Dr. Samory T. Pruitt, UA vice president for community affairs, in accepting the membership.

Pruitt said UA's Center for Community-Based Partnerships played a major role in the University's invitation. "CCBP focuses University expertise on the most critical social and economic problems identified by community partners," he said.

CCBP and its council "“ made up of 50 faculty, staff, student and community members representing most UA disciplines and many community organizations "“ coordinate engagement scholarship for the campus.

Activities include an annual awards program, research grants, a research journal, a newsletter and a Web site, ccbp.ua.edu.

"I am pleased to see the teaching and research of our faculty used to enrich communities through partnerships such as these," said Dr. Judy Bonner, UA executive vice president and provost. "And I am especially pleased that our students, working with their faculty mentors, are getting such a wonderful opportunity to reinforce their classroom experience while improving the lives of others."

Among 2007 CCBP projects are The West End Journal, a partnership of UA, Stillman College, The Tuscaloosa News and the Alabama Press Association. With staff composed of students and community residents, WEJ and www.wej.com cover news and information vital to thousands in an underserved section of Tuscaloosa. WEJ was one of nine projects recognized at CCBP's first awards program in April.

UA's Dr. Edward Mullins and Stillman's Amanda Brozana have been invited to present their WEJ research at the Outreach Scholarship Conference in Madison, Wis., Oct. 5-7. Other UA presenters at the conference include Dr. Heather Pleasants, College of Education; Dr. Lisa Shaul, Honors College; Dr. Marsha Adams, Capstone College of Nursing, and Dr. Scott Bridges and Bethany Collins, Creative campus. The conference, one of the main benefits of OSP membership, showcases the nation's top engagement projects.

In his invitation to UA, Ohio State's vice president for university outreach, Dr. Bobby D. Moser, said membership gives UA a position on OSP's steering and implementation committees and puts UA in line to be a future host of the national conference. Membership also affiliates UA with the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, the top scholarly journal in the field.

Another CCBP-affiliated program is the Rural Health Research Consortium, a National Institutes of Health initiative to improve health care in rural communities. Dr. John Higginbotham and Pamela Payne-Foster, M.D., are UA's principal investigators in this project.

Others include water sanitation in Hale County by the College of Engineering, a language lab for Hispanics new to the community, entrepreneurial outreach for businesses and schools in rural Alabama by the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration, and a mentoring program for future UA college students from the Black Belt by the School of Social Work.

Dr. Estelle Ryan Clavelli, CCBP associate director of community education, who is in charge of the English Language Lab, says it has been one of the most popular offerings of the new center.

"The number of Hispanics in Alabama has been growing dramatically," Clavelli said, "and they have found a much-needed resource in our lab, which has been drawing as many as 50 visitors a week."

Pruitt said getting a new home for the campus' engagement activities (the Cannon House, 824 4th Avenue, near the Sheraton Hotel on campus) has helped greatly. "However, we are already about to outgrow it. But that's what you would like to see in a new program."

Pruitt, who holds bachelor's, master's and Ph.D. degrees from UA, was named vice president for community affairs in 2004. In addition to serving as CCBP executive director, he oversees the University's Equal Opportunity Programs, Crossroads Community Center, the Martin Luther King Realizing the Dream committee, and other campus and external community activities.

The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is in the midst of planned, steady enrollment growth with a goal of reaching 28,000 students by 2010. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state’s economy, is in keeping with UA’s vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state’s flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.

UA Engineering Students Without Borders Repairs Plumbing, Ballfield in Hale County, Conducts Environmental Project in Peru

July 7th, 2010
in Issues, News

June 2007

How many times have you used water today? Water is, of course, an integral aspect of life and is necessary to complete many daily tasks like bathing, brushing your teeth and washing your hands. Now, imagine being billed hundreds of dollars for water you never received because of faulty pipes or leaks in your home.

Some Hale County residents have faced this nightmare, which is why UA's Engineering Students Without Borders has put its expertise to use by restoring the residents' plumbing

Engineers Students Without Borders has partnered with HERO Housing Resource Center, an organization aimed at reducing substandard housing conditions in Hale County, to improve residential plumbing in the area.

It is estimated that 40 percent of water sent to customers from the Hale County Water Department is lost because of bad piping and a decrease in water pressure. The water department asked HERO, who, in turn, asked Engineering Students Without Borders for its help.

Josh Hamilton, a sophomore majoring in electrical engineering and the student project leader for ESWB, said some residents of Hale County are paying for water they do not receive because of problems in the piping. He explained that when some residents' pipes leak, they cannot afford to pay someone to repair the pipe, causing the problem to worsen.

"We are working with HERO and the Hale County Water Department to make it so that these families, whether they are elderly, single parents or simply on a fixed income, can receive water that is affordable," said Hamilton. "One of the residents we worked with was billed $800 for water, and was unable to pay the bill. That's where we come in."

"Not only are we helping the community," said Hamilton, "but the students who participate in these projects are getting hands-on engineering experience, which is something you cannot learn in a classroom or from a textbook."

Bonita Benner, project coordinator for HERO, said ESWB has fixed plumbing at seven homes.

ESWB also has partnered with the Black Belt Action Commission to restore Curtis Smith Field, a run-down baseball field in Greensboro, restoring the baseball field in an effort to increase interest in the sport in the Black Belt community. Members of the Black Belt Action Commission sought ESWB's assistance after recognizing the need for improved recreational areas for their youth.

"Baseball used to be a big deal in the Black Belt," said Dr. Philip Johnson, adviser for ESWB. "Kids used to play the game, but it has died out, and there is no longer a little league team in Hale County, which is why we are sending students there to help."

Drs. Philip and Pauline Johnson received an award from CCBP in April, the Outstanding Faculty/Staff-Initiated Engagement Effort Award for their ESWB work. Both are associate professors of civil, construction and environmental engineering.

Also, UA's Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility presented Dr. Pauline Johnson with an Innovative Service Learning Faculty Award, and the Community Service Center recognized ESWB's work by giving the organization its Caritas Award.

Engineers Students Without Borders traveled to Peru in May as part of UA's interim class. Students in ESWB spent two weeks in Iquitos, Peru, working on community water and ecotourism projects.

Category: Issues

Category: Issues

African-American Heritage Month at UA will Reflect History, Unity