e-Veritas Archive | August, 2014

UM Kicks Off 2014 United Way Campaign to Help ‘Lift Everyone Up’

UM News

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (September 2, 2014)—The University of Miami officially launches its 2014 United Way campaign today, with the goals of raising more than $1 million for the United Way of Miami-Dade, increasing faculty and staff participation and, as the U has for nearly four decades, doing its part to improve the education, financial stability, and health of children and families.

“Each year’s United Way campaign is an opportunity to demonstrate your support for our UM mission of providing service that extends throughout our community,” said Larry Marbert, vice president for real estate and facilities and chair of the 2014 campaign, which runs through November 28. “Working together, and with your generous support, we will make our 2014 campaign a success.”

For the second consecutive year, Steven F. Falcone, executive dean for clinical affairs, chief executive of UHealth Clinical Practice, and associate vice president for medical affairs, is serving as co-chair, leading the Miller School of Medicine’s component.

“There are two benefactors, the local community and us,” Falcone said at the recent United Way kickoff luncheon on the medical campus. “There is no greater satisfaction than giving to those in need, and I really look forward to this campaign and the work that you will do for the next several months.”

“For the community to achieve its full potential, we have to lift everyone up,” added Joe Natoli, interim chief operating officer of the Miller School and UHealth and senior vice president for business and finance and chief financial officer, who has been devoted to the United Way for many years. “The community relies on us greatly.”

One of only four local institutions to consistently exceed the $1 million mark, UM contributed more than $1.13 million to the United Way of Miami-Dade last year, including more than $419,000 in undesignated giving. This year, Marbert has set UM’s sights on surpassing both figures. As he notes, undesignated contributions enable the United Way to respond more quickly to emergencies, direct funds to community agencies with the greatest need, and, not least of all, more than double the value of its charitable dollars.

“Each unrestricted dollar you contribute to the United Way is matched by federal and state grant programs, turning your dollar into $2.06,” Marbert said.

The easiest and most effective way to contribute is to make a pledge online through myUM. Simply log on to myUM, and under “Give to United Way” in the upper left side of the home page, click on “United Way Contribution” and follow the instructions. Employees have the option of giving through a recurring payroll deduction from their salary, or a one-time gift through payroll deduction, check, or credit card. Those who make commitments of 1 percent or more of their salary will be entered into UM’s traditional October raffle.

Faculty and staff also have the option of assigning their contributions as unrestricted, directing their gift to a University of Miami fund, or designating it to their favorite not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

Over the next three months, there will be a number of other campus raffles, events, and fun to generate excitement for and participation in the campaign, which along with the campaign’s progress, will be detailed in e-Veritas every week. Among the first is this week’s UPS 5K Run to benefit the United Way of Miami-Dade on Saturday, September 6. Sponsored in part by the University of Miami, the run begins at 7:30 a.m. at Coral Gables City Hall. Registration is still open and costs $30.

If you have any questions concerning online giving, please contact your department’s ambassador. For a list of United Way Campaign advisors on the Coral Gables and RSMAS campuses, click here. For a list of ambassadors on the Miller School of Medicine campus, click here. You may also contact Marbert via email at [email protected].

 

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UM Ranks Among the Nation’s Best for Hispanic Students

UM News

Ranked No. 2 this year, tHe Miller School of Medicine has been in the top five of HispanicBusiness's best schools for Hispanics students since 2005.

Ranked No. 2 this year, the Miller School of Medicine has been in the top five of HispanicBusiness’s best graduate schools for Hispanics since 2006.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (August 28, 2014)­—The University of Miami stands out among the “cream of the crop” for Hispanic students seeking advanced degrees, according to HispanicBusiness Magazine, which selected the top 10 graduate programs in medicine, business, law, and engineering at institutions of higher learning across the nation for its 2014 Annual Diversity Report.

Only 40 schools made the prestigious list in at least one of the four disciplines, but UM had the distinction of being one of only two universities with three programs in the top 10, a near sweep. The Miller School of Medicine ranked No. 2 in the nation, Miami Law came in at No. 3, and the School of Business Administration placed eighth.

Published online August 20, the rankings are based on five categories, including the percentage of Hispanic students and faculty in each program and the efforts the programs make to attract and retain the students. “The schools on our lists are well-rounded and have made notable efforts to engage the Hispanic community,” the magazine said.

The Miller School, which has ranked among the top five in the nation for Hispanics since 2006, “has always had a goal of attracting and supporting a student demographic that mirrors the community and population we serve,” said Alex J. Mechaber, senior associate dean for undergraduate medical education and associate professor of medicine. “The ranking is a testament to that.”

Added Miller School Dean Pascal J. Goldschmidt, “As medicine is becoming increasingly global, the medical schools that are at the top of this list are the ‘next best schools’ of the U.S. Our commitment to diversity, a key value for our University, drives our efforts to engage and support the Hispanic community.”

The School of Law is proud of its long-standing commitment to diversity and equality. Standing at the crossroads of the Americas with a focus on serving students and having faculty and staff from a multitude of cultures and backgrounds, the school offers an abundance of opportunities that enhance a student’s legal education. Whether it is through the International LL.M. programs, J.D. curriculum or short courses for foreign lawyers, the school provides an educational environment that is diverse, inclusive, and one that promotes cross-cultural competencies.

“We are very proud to be consistently ranked in the upper echelon of law schools that serve the widest range of communities,” said Dean Patricia D. White. “The best law schools are those that nurture cultural competencies, preparing students for an increasingly complex and global world. I am very happy to say that our law school is one of those and will continue to stay true to this commitment.”

At the School of Business Administration, which has made the list for five consecutive years, Dean Eugene Anderson said the school is proud of its commitment to providing an inclusive and supportive environment for all students. “A diverse community, in the broadest possible sense, is essential to the character of our school, the ideas that we generate, the education and professional development of our students, and the contribution that both make to business and society,” he said.

Among services the school provides to Hispanic graduate students is career counseling, including scholarships to attend the annual career fair of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA). The School’s Ziff Graduate Career Services Center also provides a student liaison for the South Florida NSHMBA Chapter, connects Latin American students with Latin American companies for employment, and provides networking opportunities and panel discussions through the Latin American Business Association. The school also offers the NSHMBA University Partnership Program Scholarship to select applicants who demonstrate a commitment to the Hispanic community.

 

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Stamps Scholars Begin a New Year of Enrichment and Opportunity

UM News

UM's Stamp Scholars began the 2014 academic year by meeting New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, center, a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner who delivered the New Student Convocation address.

UM’s new Stamp Scholars began the 2014 academic year by meeting New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, center, a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner who delivered the New Student Convocation address.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (August 26, 2014) – With the University of Miami’s fall semester under way, 41 top students from across the nation are studying on campus as both new and returning Stamps Scholars.

The Stamps Scholarships, which provide tuition plus extensive enrichment opportunities to outstanding academic achievers and talented students, are funded by the generosity of Penny and E. Roe Stamps through the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation and the University of Miami.

The Stamps Family Charitable Foundation partners with visionary colleges and universities to award multi-year scholarships to select students from a wide array of disciplines. The Stamps Scholarships are UM’s most generous scholarly awards.

Penny and E. Roe Stamps are campaign vice chairs for Momentum2: The Breakthrough Campaign for the University of Miami. Roe Stamps is a member of UM’s Board of Trustees and the Visiting Committee at the Frost School of Music.

“The University is very grateful to the Stamps family,” said UM Executive Vice President and Provost Thomas J. LeBlanc. “Stamps Scholarships enable the University to attract exceptional students and provide support for them to realize their ambitions and to develop their skills. These inspiring students will be our future leaders.”

Said Roe Stamps, “Penny and I are excited to support a record number of Stamps Scholars at the University of Miami this fall. The University’s support of these ambitious, talented students through outstanding advising and educational programs enhances their opportunities and ensures a brighter future for us all.”

Seventeen of the 41 students represent various disciplines as Stamps Leadership Scholars. This elite academic award provides driven and talented scholars opportunities for professional and leadership development in the fields of research, policy, technology, business, industry, government, health care, and education. Stamps Leadership Scholars are eligible to receive funding for study abroad, undergraduate research, internships, conferences, and leadership development opportunities.

Twenty-three scholars will participate in the program as Stamps Music Scholars at the Frost School of Music. Nineteen of them will perform in four different Stamps Distinguished Ensembles throughout their undergraduate years. The Stamps Distinguished Ensembles include the Stamps String Quartet, Stamps Woodwind Quintet, Stamps Brass Quintet, and Stamps Jazz Quintet.

One student is awarded the honor of serving as the E. Roe Stamps Baseball Pitcher. The recognition goes to UM baseball player Andrew Suarez this academic year.

This year’s incoming Stamps Leadership Scholars are Earl Generato, Pembroke Pines, Fla., biomedical engineering; Aditya Shah, Germantown, Tenn., health sector management and policy, biology; Gururaj Shriram, Miramar, Fla., computer science; Sabrina Xiao, River Edge, N.J., biochemistry, political science; Kristiana Yao, Naperville, Ill., public health.

The incoming Stamps Music Scholars are instrumental performance majors and will comprise the Stamps String Quartet: Jacques Gadway, violin, Homestead, Fla.; Tommy Johnson, violin, Florissant, Mo.; Stephen Huber Weber, viola, Geneva, Fla.; Sarah Huesman, cello, Winston-Salem, N.C.

“Through the generous support of the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation, I was able to attend the University of Miami,” said Stamps Scholar Aaron Kruger. “This investment in my potential will allow me to attend medical school and eventually work at a hospital as a medical researcher, teacher, and clinician.”

Beginning in 2006 at their alma maters, the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Penny and E. Roe Stamps created merit scholarship programs for undergraduates. The Stamps Family Charitable Foundation expanded its reach with similar programs at the University of Miami in 2009, and in 2010 at Barry University, Caltech, University of Florida, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and UCLA. Since then, the list has grown to 41 academic institutions including the University of Chicago, University of Notre Dame, University of Virginia, Wake Forest University, and Washington University in St. Louis.

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UM Passes Five-Year Accreditation Review

UM News

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (August 25, 2014)—After dozens of meetings and training workshops, hundreds of emails, and countless hours spent evaluating nearly 300 academic programs, the University of Miami has passed its five-year accreditation review. UM is, in fact, one of only a handful of graduate institutions—five out of 42—that the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS) did not require to clarify or file additional information for the new interim reports now mandated by the federal government.

“This is a phenomenal accomplishment that is due to the hard work and dedication of many people, including the Office of Accreditation and Assessment under Dave Wiles’ leadership, the deans and associate deans of the schools and colleges, and the many faculty who put together the program assessment reports,” Executive Vice President and Provost Thomas J. LeBlanc said, in thanking the legions involved in the monumental effort that began two years ago. “We will face reaccreditation in less than five years, but we will be building on a very strong foundation.”

Wiles, executive director of assessment and accreditation, who with support from the Office of Planning, Institutional Research, and Assessment, coordinated and submitted UM’s 175-page interim accreditation report in March, equated its approval to “getting a five-year clean bill of health.”

“It was a worthwhile but very time-consuming process so it’s nice to get that,” Wiles said. “It’s an affirmation that we are doing many things right.”

Unlike the more exhaustive and comprehensive decennial accreditation review, which was completed at UM in 2008 and included a site visit by a team of evaluators, the interim review was based on a number of internally produced assessments. The largest and most intensive assessment documented the effectiveness of UM’s nearly 300 academic programs, an effort led by a steering committee chaired by William Scott Green, senior vice provost and dean of undergraduate education.

During the interim review, SACS also accepted the University’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Impact Report. UM’s QEP was designed to develop Faculty Learning Communities that enhance information, communication, and technology literacy in the undergraduate curriculum.

Based in Decatur, Georgia, SACS is the regional accrediting body for degree-granting colleges and universities in 11 southern U.S. states, from Texas to Virginia, and in Latin America. Like all regional accrediting organizations, SACS was required by the U.S. Department of Education to begin more regular monitoring of institutions under its purview to ensure continuous compliance with 17 accreditation standards, including nine federal requirements.

For the five-year review, SACS also assessed a number of other key areas at UM, including its admissions policies, student achievement, curriculum, student support services, policy compliance, physical facilities, Title IV program responsibilities, and distance education.

For more information, visit the accreditation and assessment webpage.

 

 

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UM Receives CASE Award for Superior Fundraising Program

UM News

Sergio M. Gonzalez

Sergio M. Gonzalez

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (August 27, 2014)—The University of Miami has received a 2014 CASE Educational Fundraising Award, an honor the Council for Advancement and Support of Education bestows on educational institutions with superior fundraising programs. In selecting UM for an Overall Performance Award in the private research institution category, judges analyzed three years of fundraising data and numerous indicators of a mature, well-balanced program, including the breadth and growth of UM’s base of support.

“CASE’s recognition is a testament to the dedication of many people—starting with our president, Donna E. Shalala, and her entire administrative team, and including our amazing staff, volunteers, members of the Board of Trustees, faculty and students, and, of course, our loyal donors,” said Sergio M. Gonzalez, senior vice president for University Advancement and External Affairs. “I am so grateful that our supporters know the value of investing in UM and believe in furthering its progress and impact. Together, we are building one of the world’s greatest research institutions.”

UM, which launched Momentum2: The Breakthrough Campaign for the University of Miami in 2008, has raised $1.3 billion of its $1.6 billion goal from more than 140,000 individuals.

An international association of more than 3,600 educational institutions, CASE serves nearly 74,000 advancement professionals in 82 countries.

 

 

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