News

Patricia Gregory, registered nurse and longtime puppy trainer, will share the intricacies of the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind and America’s VetDogs at this week’s Institute for Retired People. She will be introducing the audience to Luke, her 1-year-old puppy in training, at the Nov. 17 session of Institute for Retired People (IRP) from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The program is free and open to the public. Sessions are held at the First Baptist Church of Syracuse, 5833 East Seneca Turnpike, Jamesville.

Gregory graduated from St. Joseph’s School of Nursing, having worked until this past February as an ICU nurse in a community hospital on Long Island. She has been a volunteer at the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind and Americas VetDogs located in Smithtown, N.Y. on Long Island, for the past 20 years. Gregory trains puppies to be well-behaved, focused and socially adapted, and ready to become a guide dog or assistance dog.

IRP is a community program established by University College of Syracuse University, dedicated to the principle of lifelong learning.

Heidi Holtz, director of grant making at the Gifford Foundation, and Stephen Butler, executive director of the Cultural Resources Council, will discuss the IDEAS Collaborative (Initiative to Engage and Develop Audiences), at the Nov. 3 session of Institute for Retired People (IRP) from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The program is free and open to the public. Sessions are held at the First Baptist Church of Syracuse, 5833 E. Seneca Turnpike, Jamesville.

The intent of the IDEAS Collaborative is to strengthen the fabric of the cultural community in Syracuse and Onondaga County. By working together, funders, grantees and community members share the common goals of increasing cultural participation, identifying and growing sustainable audiences and uncovering opportunities for cooperative activity and resource sharing. Join the group for a firsthand account of how the Central New York cultural community is working together to share talents and resources.

IRP is a community program established by University College of Syracuse University, dedicated to the principle of lifelong learning. For more information on IRP visit http://www.yesu.syr.edu/IRP or call 443-4846.

The Connective Corridor is emerging as a signature strip of cutting-edge cultural development connecting the University Hill with downtown Syracuse. Robbi Farschman, director of community engagement and economic development at Syracuse University, will explain the Connective Corridor at the Oct. 20 session of the Institute for Retired People (IRP) from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The program is free and open to the public. Sessions are held at First Baptist Church of Syracuse, 5833 East Seneca Turnpike, Jamesville.

In addition to the bus route, the Corridor includes bike paths, imaginative lighting, public and interactive art, signage and directional systems that will help spur cultural and economic development.

Among other projects, the Connective Corridor is funding the construction of a new outdoor plaza at Syracuse Stage, a facelift at the Community Folk Art Center, façade improvements for buildings along the Corridor and reconstruction of Forman Park on East Genesee Street. Farschman will provide an overview of these and other projects under way and planned in the Connective Corridor.

University College of Syracuse University is hosting a Career Transition Workshop for Displaced Educators on Thursday, Nov. 17, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Genesee Grande Hotel, 1600 E. Genesee St. The cost is $125.

Over a dozen different workshops led by workforce development experts will focus on developing your career path, building your personal brand and knowing the job market. Facilitators will discuss current opportunities available in fields such as health care, human services and literacy, and the credentials that are required to fill these positions. A panel discussion comprised of teachers who have transitioned to other careers is also scheduled.

This event is not a job fair. This one-day workshop can help displaced teachers, administrators and education majors develop the skills needed to recover and flourish in a changing professional world.

For more information and to register for the event, visit http://www.uc.syr.edu/teachers, or call (315)443-5241.

University College of Syracuse University won three awards from the University Professional & Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) at the Mid-Atlantic Region Conference held in Princeton, N.J.

The UPCEA serves as a resource to those in the professional and continuing education field and provides members with strategies to respond to the growing population of adults and nontraditional students seeking continuous learning opportunities.

The University College Master Academic Plan (MAP) advisory model program won in the development category for credit or noncredit programs. The model offers part-time, nontraditional students the opportunity to experience life coaching combined with academic advising. Emileen Butler and Mary Pagan, academic advisers and certified life coaches, accepted the award on behalf of University College.

The Industrial Certification and Training Program (ICT) won in the category of institutional/business partnerships. The ICT was a collaborative effort of Westcott Community Center, the Manufacturers Association of Central New York and University College. Of the 454 individuals enrolled, 142 completed work-readiness classes, 170 received a nationally recognized Work Readiness Certificate, 155 completed job training and 85 obtained full-time employment.

Senior Associate Dean Geraldine de Berly was awarded the outstanding leadership/distinguished service award for her work with the English Language Institute Program at University College. UC dean Bea González nominated de Berly for the award. “Dr. de Berly’s commitment to provide access and opportunity to international students is paralleled by her drive and determination to enrich their experience in the U.S. and to provide them with strong aptitude for the English language,” says González. “Her administration of the program encompasses a wide range of hands-on involvement, which helps our students feel at home and appreciably increases their achievement rate.”

González said that it is an honor to be recognized by our peers for the work that UC does on behalf of its nontraditional students. “In the true spirit of Scholarship in Action, University College is committed to forging imaginative and reciprocal partnerships with our many constituents, both locally and globally,” says González.