The Podcast Army is in Training

The Teaching & Learning Collaborative in coordination with the Digital Media Commons at the Monterey Institute is training an army of podcasters.  The one unit, fifteen hour workshop titled Digital Media for Change meets Friday afternoons from 2-4pm.  Participants are exploring new communication skills with digital media with a particular focus on affecting change.  We’re reading and discussing the workshop text by Garr Reynolds, PresentationZen, and we have gathered online on a homegrown social network hosted by Ning: http://dm4change.ning.com.  Participants will be helping the Institute build our capacity to capture campus events, speakers, and other stories that distinguish our community and reflect our mission.  We’re building an army of graduate students, staff, and faculty to help us!  And yes, we like cupcakes.

As the workshop coordinator I am using this as an opportunity to experiment with alternative course management tools and blogging.  We welcome any and all who might be interested in what we are up to, so please feel free to join us on our Ning, or grab the RSS feed for the DM4change blog that is being piped into the main page for workshop updates and thoughts from yours truly.

Monterey FORUM 2009 Focuses on Assessment

Assessment in the training of translators and interpreters will be the topic of the 2009 Forum sponsored by the Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation.  Beginning the evening of Thursday, April 2 with a lecture by Christiane Nord of Heidelberg University, the conference sessions on Friday and Saturday offer a wide range of international speakers, including sessions interpreted by MIIS students. The Forum wraps up on Sunday, April 6 with a lecture by Franz Pöchhacker of the University of Vienna.

Register by contacting translate@miis.edu.
Registration Fees:
General $150
MIIS alumni $75

For further information, please contact kayoko.takeda@miis.edu, or download the complete schedule.

Student Prize for Anti-Human Trafficking Essays Announced

A $1,000 Rev. William Sloane Coffin cash prize will be awarded to the MIIS
student who writes the best anti-human trafficking essay. $500 will be
given to the writer of the second-best essay.  The award is named after
the late remarkable  civil rights and peace activist Chaplain at Yale
University and the money is donated by his close friend, Professor Peter
Grothe. The essay should be no more than
2,000 words.

The student should state what experiential and/or academic background
she/he has had in anti-human trafficking and what she/he has learned from
this. A major part of the essay should be devoted to what  motivates the
writer to go into the anti-human trafficking field. Further, what are the
most promising strategies for putting brakes on this affront to humanity?

The deadline for the essay is 5 pm Friday, March 13th. Essays should be submitted to Dr. Grothe or put in his box in the Student Affairs building. The judges  for the Rev. William Sloane Coffin Prize will be a panel of faculty experts.

Please share this opportunity with your students.

AIG/Valic Representative Visits MIIS

ATTENTION ALL BENEFIT-ELIGIBLE FACULTY AND STAFF:

Rodney Smith, our AIG/VALIC representative, will be on campus in the Human Resources Conference Room to assist you with your retirement questions on Tuesday February 24, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m.

If you would like to arrange to meet with Rodney at a particular time, please give him a call on his cell phone at 595-2588.

Green Awards Program Launched!

Do you know someone on campus who’s making an effort to go green? Then
nominate him or her for a MIIS Green Award. Nominees need not be changing
the world on a huge scale–we’re looking for ordinary people who are
trying to incorporate elements of sustainable living into their daily
routines. That might mean biking to school rather than driving, using the
school’s composting bins, assigning electronic readings rather than
printed ones, advocating native plant landscaping on campus, or any other
“green” practice, large or small. (You tell us!) You may nominate as many
deserving candidates as you wish.

The Environmental Task Force will select one winner each month, beginning
in early March. Winners’ profiles will be published in the Foghorn, and
each winner will receive a gift certificate to a local “green” business.

Nominate someone today by following this link.

Contact Emily at emily.sloane@miis.edu with any questions.

President Ramaswamy Appoints Three Deans

This afternoon, President Ramaswamy announced the appointments of three new deans to lead the upcoming academic reorganization at the Monterey Institute. An abbreviated version of the announcement is included here, or you can download the full text of the announcement.

“I am excited to announce the new academic leadership team that will guide the Institute through the ongoing academic reorganization.  In November, I provided the Institute community with job descriptions for these three critical positions within the transformed academic administration, and began the search for strong leaders and managers to fill these posts. After an extensive and thorough review of the candidates with Provost Amy Sands and the Faculty Senate, we reached unanimous agreement on the following appointments:

Dean of Advising, Career, and Student Services

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Tate Miller as the Dean of Advising, Career, and Student Services, effective April 1, 2009.  Tate brings to this position a range of experience and expertise that will be crucial to the success of this newly created post.  Not only does he have direct experience with the Institute from the perspective of a former student, having received his MA from the Commercial Diplomacy program, but for several years he also taught in the Monterey Institute Trade Policy Program and served as an assistant dean in GSIPS, providing career and academic advice to students.  Tate also has taught at Shandong University and lectured at Beijing University in China. While in China he engaged in numerous programs to train Chinese officials in Western business practices and in WTO dispute settlement procedures.

Tate, in collaboration with senior staff and the two other deans, will seek to deliver advising support to the entire student body as seamlessly and efficiently as possible, building upon the existing culture of service among staff and faculty so that students experience this new structure as a step toward fulfilling the Institute’s commitment to academic excellence.

Dean of the Graduate School of Translation, Interpretation, and Language Education

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Renee Jourdenais as the dean of the new Graduate School of Translation, Interpretation, and Language Education (GSTILE) effective June 1, 2009.  Renee’s administrative experience, educational expertise, and professional work make her an excellent candidate to lead what will be the only school in the country with sizable and strong programs in both T&I and language education.

Since receiving her Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics and joining the faculty of the Institute’s TESOL/TFL program, Renee has broadened her academic reach so that she now can teach almost any class within the TESOL program, has strong credentials as a manager of academic programs, and has collaborated with T&I colleagues to develop testing and evaluation tools.  Renee will be able quickly to initiate efforts to enhance the new school’s theoretical expertise and research, professional education and training, and innovative approaches to learning a second language, teaching a second language, and becoming an effective translator and interpreter.  Equally important, she has the leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills required to work with her faculty colleagues, fellow senior administrators, and other deans to attain the Institute’s goals.

Dean of the Graduate School of International Policy and Management

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Yuwei Shi as the dean of the new Graduate School of International Policy and Management (GSIPM) effective June 1, 2009.  Before coming to the Monterey Institute, Yuwei taught at the Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, where he was the deputy director of the MBA Management of Technology program and founding director of the Nanyang Executive Program. He also taught MBA and doctoral courses and seminars in major universities in the U.S., China, and Singapore.

Yuwei specializes in corporate- and business-level strategic planning, organizational diagnosis and design, and strategic planning leveraging emerging business technologies. His consulting and executive management training clients range from high-tech startups to global Fortune 200 companies and governments in North America, Europe, and Asia.  Yuwei’s strong commitment to academic excellence is reflected in his receiving the 2008 Excellence in Teaching Award and his substantial work on the Academic Excellence Task Force, the Institute’s Innovation Committee, and Scholar Ship pizza group.  He also is now at the center of many of the Business School’s innovative activities and courses, working with its student task force to ensure a smooth transition to the new school structure.  His compassion, creativity, and directness are characteristics of the strong leadership style that will support his ability to turn his vision into specific, effective, and relevant programs and courses.

Finally, I would like to thank our current deans — Chuanyun Bao, Renee Jourdenais, Ed Laurance, and Ernie Scalberg — for their hard work and enthusiastic efforts during the last few years.  Their leadership has been crucial to the success of our strategic planning and academic excellence initiatives as they brought stability and experience to a very dynamic and innovative environment.  Given the strong commitment of Ed, Ernie, and Chuanyun to the Monterey Institute and its future success, I am confident that they will provide the mentoring and insights to ensure a smooth transition as we move a new team of deans into place.

I look forward to working with Amy Sands and this dynamic team of deans to help guide MIIS through the exciting times ahead as the Institute continues its pursuit of academic excellence and formally integrates with Middlebury.”

Provost Announces 2009-10 Tuition

In this year’s especially challenging fiscal environment, many schools are
simultaneously implementing tuition increases and program cuts.  Here at
the Institute, we have adopted a tuition level for Academic Year 2009-2010
that protects academic programs from cuts, supports student services and
continues our tradition of academic excellence.  Next year’s tuition will
be $31,000, or $15,500 per semester, for students enrolled full time. For students who plan to apply for federal financial aid for next year, aid
packages will reflect this tuition figure.

Retreats Reach Capacity

We have closed registration for the upcoming reorganization retreats, at least temporarily, as we have reached capacity.  We have just sent out messages to all registrants to confirm their participation.  If we find that spaces open up through cancellations, we will repost the online registration page.

The outpouring of interest in making a significant commitment of time to attend the retreats is testimony to the engagement of this community.  Thanks to all of you for your support!  If you are not able to attend the retreat, please speak to colleagues who do plan to attend if there are specific issues you would wish to have discussed.

Conservation Leadership Students On the Air

In case you have heard buzz about the Monterey Way course “Conservation Leadership Practicum” but aren’t sure what it’s all about, then please tune in to an upcoming radio show featuring students from the course.

The show (“Tomorrow Matters”) airs this Sunday, Feb. 8th, from 10:00 to 11:00.  You can also stream it over the internet at ww.krxa540.com

This is a LIVE call-in show.  Anything can happen.  It will feature four MIIS students from IPS, MPA, and IEP:  Philippa Lockwood, Heather Smith, Alice Paipa-Lenard, and Michael Seaman.

The program is part of their ongoing immersive training so please phone in and ask them questions on the air!

Click here for more info about the Conservation Leadership Practicum.

(Thanks to Jeff Langholz, Associate  Professor of International Environmental Policy)

Outlook Tip!

You may have noticed that Outlook has a Junk E-mail folder of its own. This a separate spam filter from our Barracuda filters. If you find some of your messages are ending up in the Junk E-mail folder by mistake, you can fix this by adding trusted email addresses and domains to your Junk E-mail options under Outlook. Check out this document to get the scoop on making Outlook work for you, and not against you! (If you are a Mac user, Entourage has a similar feature.)

MIIS Community Discusses Russian Georgian Conflict

On December the 3rd about 40 Monterey Institute community members were given a chance to inform themselves more thoroughly and discuss the ongoing conflict in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The two-hour event hosted by the MIIS Conflict Resolution Association featured in addition to speakers from our own university also a foreign guest- Mr. Andrey I. Belousov from the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in San Francisco.

He was supported by Mr. Alexander Melikishvili from James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies and Professor Gordon M. Hahn. Speakers introduced their viewpoints about the conflict and discussed the possibilities of its peaceful resolution.

Gordon Hahn argued that there is plenty of blame to go around in the making of this small war. Georgia, Russia, the U.S., and Georgia’s breakaway republics Abkhazia and especially South Ossetia all bear approximately an equal share of responsibility. (more…)

Green Milestones

Dear Monterey Institute Community,

Congratulations! Due to your outstanding efforts, both our Battery Recycling Program and Rideshare Program have produced amazing results.  Since the Battery Recycling program began in early 2008, we have recycled an estimated 310 lbs. of batteries in a responsible and environmentally friendly way! Our 50 dedicated Rideshare members have walked, biked, bussed or carpooled 2,287 days, and counting.  Way to go, Monterey Institute!

As a continued effort toward a “green” campus, we would like to remind the community that there are fourteen convenient battery recycling containers on campus.  The containers are small, white, and marked USED BATTERIES. You may dispose of your old alkaline, rechargeable or cell phone batteries at any of the following locations:

The GSIPS Dean’s Office
The William Tell Coleman Library
Kade – near the front desk
Holland Center – inside next to the book shelf
Student Affairs – near the reception desk
Samson Reading Room
Office Services
Casa Fuente Second Floor – IAO office
The GSLEL Dean’s Office
The GSTI Dean’s Office
McGowan 1st floor – inside the door on the right
McGowan 2nd floor – in room 210
McGowan 3rd floor – FGSIB reception desk in the Dean’s Office
CNS Building –upstairs in the mailroom

To see a map of these locations please click here.

Our on-the-go, portable lifestyles require that we use a significant amount of battery power.  If disposed of improperly, these batteries may end up in landfills and incinerators allowing the toxic chemicals to leak
into the environment and eventually end up in the food chain, causing serious health risks to humans and animals.  We encourage all to use the battery recycling containers to dispose of your dead batteries.

Please note that the recycling facility does not accept the following items: computer batteries, battery chargers, car batteries, and small electronics.

Thank you in advance for your effort to keep our environment safe for future generations! Please, feel free to contact me with any questions regarding our Battery Recycling or Rideshare Rewards Programs.

Sincerely,
~ Maggie Peters

Join the Rideshare Rewards Program for a Chance to win $1000!

MIIS has been a registered member of this government sponsored program since the fall of 2007. Joining the program is easy! All you have to do is drop your membership application off at the President’s Office and hand your monthly logs in at the President’s Office at the end of each month.  For every day you carpool, vanpool, bicycle, walk, or ride the bus your name will be entered into a monthly drawing to win $1000!

So far, our 50 Rideshare members logged a total of 2,287 days of alternate transportation use, two MIIS students have won $1000 each, and other students have won prizes such as an iPod and an eco-tour vacation!

Here is how you can become a member:

Step 1: Download a membership application

Step 2: Drop your application off at the Reception Desk in the President’s Office.

Step 3: Keep monthly commute logs tracking the number of days you use alternative transportation. Then turn them in to Barbara Burke by the 26th of each month for signature. Logs will be faxed to Commute Alternatives for the drawing. The drawing winner will be announced by the 5th of the following month.

Drawings will occur each month throughout the academic year.

Remember, each day counts as an entry in to the drawing!

The Rideshare Rewards Program is offered by AMBAG, a governmental organization, to registered members throughout the region. The mission of AMBAG’s Commute Alternatives program is to “reduce traffic congestion and automobile emissions while optimizing the use of existing transportation infrastructure in the Monterey Bay region.” You can help fufill this mission. Join the program today!