"Foundations of Great Ideas" Makes Its Academic Debut
By Christine Hanson McKnight
For Eric Tucker, the University�s unique new "Foundations of Great Ideas" course is a "meeting of the minds."
"It�s really, really great to sit down with a lot of people who are interested in a lot of things, but who come at it from different perspectives," said Tucker, a Presidential Scholar who is majoring in computer science.
The four-credit, two-semester course is broadly interdisciplinary, and designed to introduce freshmen in the Presidential Scholars program to great issues and ideas in the arts and sciences. Teaching responsibilities for it are shared by nine faculty members.
"Foundations of Great Ideas" faculty and peer mentors; front row, from left: peer mentors Lorin Young, Maxine Oland, Paul Alan Rosen; middle row: Professors Helmut Hirsch and Helen Ghiradella, peer mentor Marianne Della Croce, Professors Lee Bickmore and Judith Johnson, peer mentor Christina Esposito; back row: Professor Max Lifchitz, peer mentor Paul Mozer, Dean John Pipkin, peer mentor Jennifer Bauder, Professors Gary Gossen and Morton Schoolman, peer mentor Mary Sass, Professor Roberta Bernstein. (Gary Gold photo.)
"Our thought is to provide the students with a common intellectual experience that is unique to Albany," said John Pipkin, the University�s Dean of Undergraduate Studies. He added that, while it is the first academic offering intended just for Presidential Scholars, he views it as a prototype for a course that may eventually be offered to all undergraduates.To organize the "Foundations of Great Ideas" initiative, Pipkin worked in partnership with Gary Gossen, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Director of the University�s Honors Program. Response to the course, Gossen said, was strong, with enrollment topping out at about 125 students. Also offered to upperclass Presidential Scholars, the course is the outgrowth of a series of focus group discussions with previous Presidential Scholars. They urged that it be offered as an elective, rather than a required course.
Gossen, a distinguished teaching professor in the Departments of Anthropology and Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and Pipkin, a professor in the Department of Geography and Planning, are joined in teaching the course by Roberta Bernstein of the Department of Art, Lee Bickmore of Anthropology and Linguistics; Helen Ghiradella and Helmut Hirsch of Biology and Human Biology; Judith Johnson of English; Max Lifchitz of Music and Latin American and Caribbean Studies; and Morton Schoolman of Political Science.
For Tucker, a senior from Hartford (N.Y.), "Foundations of Great Ideas" is turning out to be everything he expected.
"The title says it all. We�re talking about what makes humans think the way they do. In a world where we�re taught that we�re all different, it�s gratifying to know that we all have some similarities, too," he said.
The course focuses on the quest of humankind, in different time periods and in diverse cultures, to distinguish order from chaos in various spheres of belief, experience, knowledge, and practice. It includes both a weekly lecture session and one smaller discussion session of 15-18 students. Upperclassmen in the Presidential Honors program serve as peer mentors in the discussions. Weekly writing assignments and a final essay are required.
"The Presidential Scholars Program is already an outstanding success, with 600 students enrolled from the top ten percent of applicants," said Judy Genshaft, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. "This course is an effort to respond to the new realities of a global society, dramatic increases in cultural diversity and the internationalization of communication and economic systems."
NFL Great to Warn of Chemical Dependency
By Greta Petry
On Tuesday, Oct. 20, Carl Eller, former National Football League star and chemical dependency consultant, will appear at the Campus Center Ballroom to speak on the issue of alcohol abuse among college students. Eller�s presentation will be part of National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week, an event designed to educate students about the academic, social, psychological, physical, and legal impact of alcohol on their lives.
Carl Eller is the founder and executive director of Triumph Services, a chain of chemical dependency rehabilitation facilities located in the metropolitan area of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota and a familiar name in American sports history. During Eller�s 15-year career with the Minnesota Vikings, he was a "Rookie of the Year", was picked two times as "League�s Most Valuable Lineman", was All-Pro and went to six Pro Bowls, and has two NFL Hall of Fame nominations. He holds the Vikings record with 134 career sacks and has 23 opponent fumble recoveries and 9 blocked kicks. In 1995, he was named to the Vikings Silver Anniversary All-Time Team.
Later Eller became a consultant to the NFL as a Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor Reciprocal (CCDCR) on matters of alcohol and drug abuse. As a consultant, he helped set up the league�s first Employee Assistance Program and helped the NFL start the Chemical Dependency Education and Awareness Coaches Training program for all of its 28 member teams. Eller has also worked with other professional sports teams, including hockey, baseball, and basketball.
Eller is the executive director of the United States Athletes Association (USAA), "a national network of students organized to promote positive chemical-free lifestyles." He has worked with more than 400 schools and nearly half a million youths. Eller has traveled with former First Lady Nancy Reagan, helping out with her drug abuse program, and has frequently appeared on national TV and radio. He has also been quoted in many major magazine publications and is a contributing editor for Alcoholism and Addiction Magazine. Throughout the nation, Eller has been honored by many groups and organizations for his achievement in developing outstanding chemical dependency-prevention and treatment programs. He has even been given the "Tribute to Community Enterprise" award by William Bennett, former director of National Drug Policy.
Carl Eller will speak at the Campus Center Ballroom on Tues., Oct. 20, at 8 p.m. There will be a reception and an autograph signing after Eller�s presentation on "Straight Talk about Alcohol".
Campus Effervescent Over New Partnership with Coke
By Greta Petry
The University and Coca-Cola Enterprises are launching a ten-year partnership that will include new joint marketing initiatives and significant financial support for University programs. Coca-Cola will serve as the exclusive vendor of soft drinks at the University for the next decade, and its partnership with the University will generate approximately $6 million in revenue for the University.
"Not only does this partnership benefit the University and its students, and our corporate partner, Coca-Cola Enterprises, but it also supports the growth of the local economy," said Executive Vice President Carl Carlucci. Coca-Cola Enterprises established an Albany office and bottling plant in January.
The funds generated by this partnership will be used to support student scholarships and internships, student-centered activities on campus, joint marketing activities between the University and Coca-Cola Enterprises, and career development programs.
"Coke is not just a vendor. It is an active partner," Carlucci said.
At least a half million dollars will be awarded for student scholarships over the course of the ten years. The agreement also provides for Coke to hire two interns a year, an undergraduate who will work on campus, and a graduate student who will work at Coke. Details on how much will be provided for other programs and activities are still being negotiated, Carlucci said.
According to Carlucci, in response to budgetary pressures and the growing competition for students, the State University of New York system and the University at Albany have been evolving and behaving more like the private schools, in the sense that the University is trying to find funds from new sources to support student services. This is happening all across the country � colleges and universities are entering partnerships with various businesses.
The move to Coke has been popular, according to U.A.S. executive director Julia Filippone, who said it takes six trucks a day on campus to keep the Coke machines filled. "The machines are constantly busy, and we�ve gone to the 20-ounce bottles," Filippone said.
Coke vending machines were put in place during the summer, and on opening day, trucks provided free Surge to those moving into the residence halls. Coke will shortly be offering students a drawing in which five free round-trip airline tickets to any location in the continental U.S. � one ticket per quad � will be given away.
"We will be working with Coca-Cola throughout the next year to develop student-centered activities sponsored by Coke," Filippone said. Recruitment activities through the Career Development Center are also being discussed.
Special Olympics Returns to Campus
The New York Special Olympics Summer Games will return to the Albany campus for June of 1999 and 2000, it was announced on September 17 by Neil J. Johnson, president and CEO. Attending the press conference at the RACC were, left to right, Special Olympics coach John Grathwol, Special Olympics athletes Jim Vinson and Lenny Brewer, and former Olympic Gold Medalist Jeff Blatnick, an NYSO honorary coach.
