Academics
Theater department experiencing long-standing gender role disparities
Two-thirds of USD’s theater department has found that it can be hard to catch a break. For years, college theater departments across the nation, including USD’s, have all been facing the same problem – a lack of female roles in productions. Right now, USD’s theater department is made up of 66 percent women and 34 […]
Jolley Elementary awarded Bush Foundation grant
The Vermillion Public School District is teaming up with USD to better focus on elementary students’ strengths. In 2016, the district was awarded a Bush Foundation grant to establish a professional development partnership between Jolley Elementary and the USD School of Education. The grant was given through the Bush Foundation’s Teacher Effectiveness Initiative. According to the […]
Course evaluations moving online this spring
Beginning this semester, course evaluations at USD will move from paper forms to a new online program called Campus Labs. Campus Labs allows evaluations to be done on laptops, tablets or smartphones. There will still be class time set aside to complete the evaluations toward the end of the semester. Lindsay Hayes, USD’s coordinator of […]
Family of USD alumnus gives millions to medical biology
USD’s medical biology program is about to be the beneficiary of a huge cash infusion, courtesy of the family of an alumnus. Keith Nolop, a former Volante editor, graduated from USD in 1975 and spent decades working in pharmaceutical development. According to his obituary in the New York Times, he worked on drugs to treat […]
Students present novel concepts at IdeaFest
IdeaFest, an annual showcase of graduate and undergraduate student research, was held on Wednesday and Thursday for its 25th year at USD. Wednesday’s events included a poster session on the main and second floors of the Munster University Center where students posted their work for anyone interested to interact with and ask questions. Wednesday Jeff Beck, a […]
Sustainability to become its own department, consolidate with earth sciences
A big change is coming to USD’s sustainability program and earth sciences department. In the fall of 2018, faculty from the two disciplines will be united under one designation – the department of “sustainability and environment.” This is a boost for sustainability, which isn’t an official department at USD. Meghann Jarchow, coordinator of the sustainability program, said it hasn’t […]
USD community reacts to secretary of education nomination
Trump’s recent secretary of education pick, Betsy DeVos, has many educators, both future and present, sitting on the edge of their classroom chairs. One major concern is DeVos’s previous work experience and her support for charter schools as a member of the Michigan Republican Party. Donald Easton-Brooks, USD’s dean of education, said the new change in administration […]
USD replaces Starfish with Coyote Connections
USD has launched a new academic warning system to replace Starfish, the previous system that allowed professors to raise concerns about students’ academic well-being. The new system, called Coyote Connections, lets faculty warn students and their advisors about attendance, low scores and issues with participation in class. Part of the problem with Starfish was that USD […]
Professors reflect on policies barring electronics in classrooms
USD’s media and journalism department has formed a new informal policy barring students from using laptops and other electronic devices in class. The policy is voluntary, and most media and journalism professors have chosen to take part. Junior media and journalism major Kassidie Cornell said she was taken aback by the department’s decision to remove electronics […]
I.D. Weeks to cut subscriptions to dozens of publications
Because of skyrocketing subscription costs and budget constraints, I.D. Weeks library is in the process of cancelling its subscriptions to roughly 70 academic journals, newspapers and other publications. Dan Daily, USD’s dean of libraries, said that while he doesn’t like having to eliminate any publications, cuts had to be made somewhere to balance the library’s budget. […]