UC Begins Classes on Aug. 27

Students heading back to classes at the University of Cincinnati on Aug. 27 are not only  looking ahead to setting their alarm clocks for earlier in the morning, but they’re also heading back to school nearly a month earlier than the old academic quarter calendar system. Classes begin at the University of Cincinnati on Aug. 27, marking the first time that students have attended UC under a

semester calendar system

since the 1963-1964 school year.

UC began preparing for the transition back in 2008.

To address the needs of the current student population, semesters will allow for more in-depth teaching and classroom projects, greater opportunities for collaborative research, and will considerably open up study-abroad opportunities. In addition, students will graduate earlier in the year than under academic quarters, which will give them a jump on the job market.

UC is projecting a total enrollment of 42,000 students, including 5,994 freshmen. That includes a projected 4,168 baccalaureate degree-seeking freshmen for the Uptown Campus. UC continues to make gains in building the diversity of the incoming class, reporting 16.9 percent of UC’s incoming freshmen are students of color, compared with 15.5 percent last fall.

UC is also seeing increases in both its undergraduate (846, up 25.7 percent) and graduate (1,780, up 4 percent) international student enrollment, where UC is leading trends in international recruitment. UC International Admissions reports that the university expects to add more than 200 Chinese students this fall to an existing population of more than 700. At UC, China surpassed India last year in representing UC’s largest international student population.

The surging population of Chinese students is reflecting trends nationally. 

The top three countries represented by international students at UC are China, India and Korea.

In addition, increasing numbers of students are transferring to UC. The projected number of transfer students (1,920) is up 13.9 percent from Autumn 2011.

UC’s

housing capacity

this fall is 4,200, and coordinators are expecting between 4,000-4,100 students to move into campus housing. UC Housing & Food Services this summer arranged to lease 140 beds at University Park Apartments to provide additional housing.

New This Fall

Tech Trends/Services

Nighttime Shuttle Service Takes A New Direction

– UC Student Government and Campus Safety join together to increase the reliability of a free, late-night shuttle service.

UC*Metro

– Although there are some changes, the UC*Metro program will continue to offer both the UC*Metro Fare Card and the EZ Ride Fare Card to eligible students and employees for fall semester.

Making Gains on Achieving a Wireless Campus

– UC students on the Uptown West Campus now have 100 percent wireless service.

Digital Textbook Initiative Gets Underway

– This fall, thousands of UC students will have the chance to test out free, digital texts from Flat World when they enroll in the “Introduction to Psychology” course.

E-Books

University of Cincinnati Bookstores reports that up to 15 percent of its textbooks are now available for sale as e-books, a rising trend nationally. Instead of lugging around a massive college textbook, students can browse their e-book from their iPad or iPhone.

Expanded Distance Learning Options

– UC continues to follow state and national trends in transforming education by growing distance-learning options for students. Two UC colleges are expanding distance learning options.

New Look in Langsam

– The newly renovated Student Technology Resources Center (STRC) opens on the fourth floor of Langsam Library this fall, adding a video production studio in addition to the other resources available for students to work on technology projects. Adjacent to the STRC will be the Adaptive Technology Office, which will hold resources to support students, faculty and staff with disabilities.

Social Media at UC

– UC Admissions reports it has 1,090 followers on Twitter and 1,472 followers on its Facebook page. In addition, the UC Admissions Class of 2016/2017 Facebook page – geared toward students who were high school juniors and seniors last year –  has 1,720 likes.

Coming Soon

– UC BookStores will be adding an Apple Service Center to the bookstore located in Tangeman University Center sometime this fall.

New Programs

New Department of Journalism

– Formerly housed under the Department of English and Comparative Literature, journalism became its own department on Aug. 1. Jeffrey Blevins, an expert in new media, was appointed department head.

New Marketing Program for High-Achieving Students

– The pilot program will open networking opportunities with Cincinnati’s top companies.

Master’s of Public Health Program Offers New Concentrations for Students

– Two new concentrations will be offered this fall.

Health Information Systems Degree to be Offered at UC Clermont College

– Employment is on the rise for medical records and health information technicians.

New Minor in E-Media

– The program, housed in the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), is open to undergraduates across the university.

New Certificate in Innovation Transformation

– The program is designed to help undergraduate students turn their ideas into commercial services that can be applied to market/societal needs

New Certificate Confronts Minority Health Issues

– A collaboration between two colleges will prepare a new generation of public health advocates.

New Emergency Management Graduate Certificate

– The program will prepare people seeking careers as emergency responders, corporate and school security and emergency management officials.

New Certificate Provides an Edge in the Global Marketplace

– A Chinese language certificate will provide students with a robust educational experience in Chinese language and culture, which is key in keeping pace in an international environment.

New Certificate in Service Learning

– Students dedicated to applying their learning toward service, both locally and globally, can now pursue an 18 credit-hour certificate. The program launches two courses this fall and is open to undergraduates across the university.

New Assistantship

– A new partnership to improve health care will blend the expertise of two colleges and will result in a year-long award to a qualifying doctoral student.

Additional Academic Offerings

New Centers

The

UC Center for Business Analytics

will bring together companies, students and faculty for data analysis to boost business and organizational performance.

A new

Center for Undergraduate Research, Scholarly Activity and Creative Practice

will provide a central location for supporting and growing UC’s undergraduate research possibilities. Also opening later this fall is a formal physical location for UC Forward, a teaching and learning initiative that brings together students, faculty and an array of businesses and agencies to contribute to the social and economic value of the local, regional and global communities.

Construction Updates

Green Roof, Children’s PlayScape

– UC turns to Mother Nature for some new features. Other renovations open additional classroom space.

New Upgrades

– Athletics facilities get some tweaks for fall. Fans will see brand new playing surfaces on both the basketball court and soccer field.

Success Stories

Rent-A-Text: An Affordable Alternative

– University of Cincinnati Bookstores enters the third year of its Rent-A-Text Program, which provides savings up to 50 percent off the price of new textbooks. Linda Gindele, director of UC Bookstores, says the program saved students more than $1.1 million last year. More than 24,955 books were rented, which was 18.9 percent of the total number of textbooks sold during the last academic school year.

New People

Santa J. Ono

has been appointed interim president of the University of Cincinnati.

Lawrence J. Johnson

was appointed interim provost of the University of Cincinnati.

Ronald L. Jackson II

became dean of the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) on July 1.

Xuemao Wang’s

appointment as dean of UC Libraries and university librarian takes effect Aug. 31.

Teik Lim’s

appointment as interim dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences took effect Aug. 1. Lim has served as the college’s associate dean for graduate studies and research, and as director of the college’s School of Dynamic Systems.

Nelson Vincent

was appointed interim Chief Information Officer at UC. Vincent was formerly associate dean of the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH).

Raj Mehta

became vice provost for International Affairs on July 16. Mehta, a member of UC’s marketing faculty since 1990, will continue his role and responsibilities as director of UC’s University Honors program.

James J. Clark

is the new director of UC’s School of Social Work. He comes to UC from the University of Kentucky.

Jeff Zalar

is the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences’ new Ruth J. and Robert A. Conway Endowed Chair of Catholic Studies. The program eventually will cover nearly all aspects of Catholicism, from its 2,000 year-old traditions to its influence on modern global society and many other academic disciplines, such as art, literature and politics.

Shannon Witzel

was named assistant lacrosse coach. She comes to UC from LaSalle University.

The

2012 Cincinnatus full-scholarship Presidential Award recipients

are entering UC from as close as North College Hill and as far away as California.

This Just In: New Accolades

– UC is named among The Princeton Review’s “Best 377 Colleges” in its 2013 edition of its flagship college guide, announced on Aug. 20.