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(Oct. 9, 2009)--The University of Texas at San Antonio is joining 15 other UT System institutions in a new $250,000 University of Texas System initiative designed to transform undergraduate education. As a part of the Virtual Learning Community Initiative, the UT System purchased a 50-island archipelago for its components to share in the virtual world of Second Life.
>> To learn more about the Virtual Learning Community Initiative, the UTSA community is invited to attend a demonstration at 9 a.m., Friday, Oct. 16 in the Main Building Auditorium (0.106) on the UTSA Main Campus.
"The purpose of this project is to stimulate creative approaches to instruction that increase student access and success while being cost efficient or reducing instructional costs at all 16 campuses," said Leslie Jarmon, UT-Austin senior lecturer in the Division of Innovation and Instructional Assessment and project organizer.
The project is the largest higher education, systemwide project of it's kind in Second Life. Under the initiative, UTSA administrators, faculty staff and students will benefit from the virtual interrelated tracks put in place.
A systemwide virtual collaborative learning community of faculty, researchers, staff and administrators will communicate in the virtual world. At the course level, the project allows students to improve the learning experiences and opportunities for individual graduate students and other interested learners. In August, participants from all UT System institutions met in Austin to review the grant and assorted initiatives. There will be bi-monthly virtual meetings via Second Life until the grant ends in July 2010.
"This is the most exciting project I've ever been associated with in more than 30 years in the higher education arena," said Joe DeCristoforo, UTSA assistant vice president and registrar. "Dr. Jarmon is an inspiration to me and my project team, and we look forward to working with her and learning about how to exploit this fascinating technology."
The UTSA project team members include James Adair, Sara Bordelon, Carmen Fies, Lee Gildon, LaVonne Grandy, James Groff, Linda Lindsey, Pat McGee, Barbara Millis, Malena Salazar, Tara Schmidt, Crystal Sperber, Lloyd Swarz, Eduardo Valenzuela, Mimi Yu and Alfredo Zavala.
All UTSA faculty, staff and students are invited to attend open forums featuring finalist candidates for the dean of the UTSA College of Sciences.
Various Locations, Main Campus
UTSA is an early voting site for the statewide General Election.
H-E-B Student Union Bexar Room (HSU 1.102), Main Campus
The UTSA Office of the President and the UTSA College of Public Policy present a discussion on San Antonio’s charter amendments. Event will be livestreamed to UTSA Main Campus, Travis Room – HSU 2.202
Buena Vista Street Building Aula Canaria (BVB 1.328), Downtown Campus
More than 75 local, state and national graduate and professional schools will showcase their programs at the Main Campus. It's free and open to the public. Interested attendees are encouraged to register for the event in advance.
Sombrilla Plaza, Main Campus
UTSA Associate Professor of Anthropology Jill Fleuriet will moderate a neutral dialogue on what is and what is not protected as free speech, what constitutes hate speech and a university's role in supporting free speech on their respective campus.
Student Union Retama Auditorium (SU 2.02.02), Main Campus
Hosted by the UTSA Office of Information Technology Student Innovation Coalition, Tech Talk is a forum for students to share thoughts about technology on campus with IT professionals and learn about products and services available to help them succeed.
Student Union Denman Room (SU 2.01.28), Main Campus
UTSA Libraries will host Claudia García-Louis, assistant professor, at the Downtown Library for her presentation AfroLatinxs: Navigating Blackness and Latinidad in the Age of Trump, as part of the popular Pizza and Research series.
Buena Vista Street Building Downtown Library (BVB 2.314), Downtown Campus
Celebrate the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" with a viewing of the 1931 film adaptation. A discussion on the impact and evolution of the novel will introduce the film, led by English, Music and Medical Humanities faculty.
John Peace Library North Commons, 2nd Floor
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