Stay connected through events and make "the" college into "your" college.
Dear students,
There is lots of news to share this week.
IT'S TIME TO REGISTER FOR SPRING 2014 SEMESTER:
Registration for Spring 2014 begins on October 28, 2013; Seniors and Juniors will register the week of October 28th, Sophomores and Freshmen the week of November 4th. Your registration access time is based on your last name and the courses you’ve completed (classes in progress don’t count.). You can find your specific registration times by checking online. Please contact your advising center soon to arrange an advising appointment, and be sure to submit an online advising worksheet. You should start studying the spring, 2014 course schedule. I know you all are still thinking about midterms and papers to write, but it's time to pay attention to this. You all have it much better than what I remember at my alma mater, where we got our slot for registration by standing in line -- first come first served. Back then, many of us slept out on the Quad for one or two nights to get the "choice classes." Fortunately, today we have the internet.
New this year is the fact that you can now pursue the Bachelor of Science and Arts (BSA) degree or the Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in most majors. The BSA allows you to complete a science major while at the same time pursue an interdisciplinary minor. Think of your major as a discipline you care about, while your degree is a checklist that allows you to build up certain skills. The checklists for the BS and BSA are available here at this link. Depending on your career goals, the BSA can allow you complement your knowledge of science with another useful skill, like writing, business, a foreign language. The minor can be completed by taking 15-18 hours in a field like psychology, Spanish, Anthropology, etc in the College of Liberal Arts, or can be completed by using one of the certificate programs (see link).
NATURAL SCIENCES WEEK IS OCTOBER 14-18:
Each year we have Natural Sciences Week, a set of events and festivities meant to show you all the great things going on in our college. It is organized by the Natural Sciences Council, your student council and liaison to the college. This year it includes (Monday) a student organization fair and free show of the "Chemistry Circus" amazing demonstrations; (Tues) a lecture by distinguished Computer Science professor Tandy Warnow; (Wed) a Town Hall about the BSA degree and also a star party at the RLM observatory; (Thurs) an alumni panel on careers; and (Fri) a lecture by Vice Provost David Laude and a panel on how to get involved in research. Check out the full lineup here.
NOMINATE FACULTY FOR THE HOLLOWAY AWARD:
The Texas Exes announce that nominations are now being accepted for the 2013 Jean Holloway Award for Excellence in Teaching. You can help recognize an outstanding Liberal Arts or Natural Sciences professor who has had a genuine influence on the educational experience of university students by nominating a professor at: https://www.texasexes.org/form/holloway.asp. Nomination Deadline: Friday, Nov.1 at 5:00 pm. The purpose of this award is to recognize a professor who demonstrates the ability to impart knowledge and challenge students and also demonstrates an all-around concern for students. The $4,500 award is given annually to a professor from the College of Liberal Arts or the College of Natural Sciences. This award is student nominated and is considered one of the most valued awards for faculty because it is student-selected!
COLLEGE TUITION AND BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE:
The CTBAC is a bi-annual student group that meets to gather student input and advise the college on priorities for student programs, services, and teaching. Students benefit from being involved in helping shape the future of their college. This year the College of Natural Sciences has crafted its Strategic Plan, a comprehensive view of the college’s priorities for the years ahead. Central to the Strategic Plan are elements that strengthen undergraduate and graduate teaching and education. With this year’s CTBAC, the College requests feedback and ideas for successful implementation of the strategic plan. CTBAC is made up entirely of students. It is headed up by the president of the Natural Sciences Council, Juan Herrejon. To apply to be on CTBAC, fill out the form located here at this link.
CNS FAMILY DAY:
Please join us for the CNS Family Day event, part of the Texas Parent's Family Weekend. Parents, family and students are all invited! Our event is held Saturday, October 18th, 9am-12pm, at the Texas Memorial Museum (east side of campus). Around 9:30am, you'll hear remarks from myself, Dean Linda Hicke, CNS student Vivian Esparza, and CNS faculty member Vernita Gordon. Most departments will have booths or a table with interactive and information, and the Physics Circus will perform around 10am. A light breakfast will be served. For questions, please contact Maggie Wilhite.
Best wishes for the coming week,
—Dr. Kopp
PS: Each week I try to let you know about events going on around the college. The events above and many more are available here at this link.
PPS: For those of you who made it this far here is a science joke: "Why do cell biologists struggle at math? Because it's the only field in which multiplication is the same as division." (This was told to me by a biology major so please know that there was no disrespect intended to the cell biologists!)
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