Coordinating board approves expansion of UHCL offerings
CEP steps up with new programs for teachers, students
CCISD shoots for the stars
UHCL taps finance prof as AVP for academic affairs
Head of the class

Coordinating board approves expansion of UHCL offerings

With the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s approval, UHCL has added three teaching certificates to its roster of programs in physical sciences and technology applications for grades eight through 12 and English as a Second Language for grades four through eight.

“These new certification plans are in addition to some of the many already being offered in the School of Education and will allow students a greater array of choices for a career in teaching,” says SOE Dean Dennis Spuck. “All of these new teaching certificates address high-need areas for teachers in Texas.”

THECB also recently approved the university’s graduate program in physics and the undergraduate and graduate programs in criminology, featured in the spring 2003 issue of Egret. UHCL is the only university approved by THECB to grant a master’s degree in criminology in the state of Texas.

CEP steps up with new programs for teachers, students

UHCL’s Center for Educational Programs began offering K-12 teachers many cutting-edge courses on Saturdays during spring 2004 through its new continuing education program, Back To The U.

From high technology that can be put to use in the classroom to assisting the special needs of gifted and talented learners, Back To The U courses are based on research and are taught by current practitioners in the field and highly qualified UHCL professors. Continuing professional education hours and certificates are awarded upon the completion of each session.

CEP has also added a new component to Kids’ U with Step Up to UHCL. The two-week program prepares high school students, especially 10th- and 11th-graders, for college success. Step Up to UHCL is based on last summer’s pilot program, Camp Bulldog, which was designed to encourage youth from Hitchcock Independent School District to consider their college options.

To learn more about Back To The U or Step Up to UHCL, contact the Center for Educational Programs at 281-283-3530 or visit http://soe.cl.uh.edu/CEP/CEP_home.html.

CCISD shoots for the stars

The Clear Creek Independent School District/UHCL Professional Development Laboratory at McWhirter Elementary will offer the Estrellas Program, a two-way immersion education, for two kindergarten classes beginning in the 2004-05 school year.

McWhirter’s Professional Development Laboratory School, a collaborative effort that began in 2002 between UHCL and CCISD to house UHCL field-based courses for students seeking teacher certification, received a Foreign Language Assistance Program grant for $496,373 in fall 2003 from the U.S. Department of Education to begin the Estrellas Program to fund the first three years of implementation.

English- and Spanish-speaking students will share a classroom and receive instruction in both languages. The program promotes bilingualism and the development of language and cognitive skills.

For more information, visit http://ccisd.net/schools/school webs/107/twi.htm.

UHCL taps finance prof as AVP for academic affairs

Yvette Bendeck, professor of finance, was named associate vice president for academic affairs after a national search. Prior to accepting the post, Bendeck served as interim associate vice president for academic affairs since September 2003 following the departure of Andrea Bermúdez in August 2003.

“Dr. Bendeck has done a fantastic job. She has made conscious efforts to improve enrollment services and her assertive style is a change from what many are accustomed to, but is effective in accomplishing goals and objectives,” says Edward J. Hayes, senior vice president and provost.

Since joining the UHCL faculty in the School of Business and Public Administration in 1988, she has played an active role in the shared governance process as well as the school’s reaffirmation process for reaccreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International.

Bendeck received a bachelor’s degree in industrial management and master’s degree in financial economics from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1981 and 1984, respectively. She received a doctorate in finance from Arizona State University in 1988.

HEAD OF THE CLASS: UHCL’s 26th Annual Faculty and Staff Awards Presentation recognized service award recipients for five, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years of service to the university. Distinguished faculty honorees included (center, l to r) UHCL Minnie Stevens Piper Award nominee Laurie Weaver, assistant professor of bilingual and multicultural education, UHCL Distinguished Teaching Award; Dale Cloninger, professor of finance and economics, UHCL Distinguished Research Award; and Leslye Mize, associate professor of family therapy, UHCL Distinguished Service Award. Pictured with the faculty award recipients are Senior Vice President and Provost Edward J. Hayes (left) and President William A. Staples (right). Staff honorees included Hugh P. Avery Prize/President’s Distinguished Staff Service Award recipient Theresa Presswood, director of communications; and recipients of Staff Merit Awards, Gabriel Galvan, maintenance assistant; Wanda Honeycutt, office supervisor; and Nancy Weise, benefits coordinator.