The School of Architecture presents an exhibition of furniture designed and built by students under the direction of Adjunct Professor and furniture maker Austin Kane Matheson on Monday, December 10 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Jorge M. Perez Architecture Center’s Irvin Korach Gallery. A reception begins at 5 p.m. The exhibition is free and open to the public. For more information, please visit www.arc.miami.edu.

The University of Miami Graduate School has subscribed to premium content for The Versatile Ph.D., a Web-based community that provides career development resources and helps Ph.D. and ABD (all but dissertation) students explore non-academic career options as well as learn about career choices after graduation.

National concern regarding the production (perhaps overproduction) of Ph.D.s has been a point of discussion over the past few years. However, many institutions, including UM’s Graduate School, see the situation as an opportunity for fruitful conversations regarding the varied settings and ways in which Ph.D. graduates can make societal contributions that transcend academia.

“Although the University of Miami aspires to develop Ph.D.s who become leaders at elite academic institutions, we also believe that it is important for the Graduate School to support emerging trends where our most highly-educated graduates can also make comprehensive contributions to non-academic sectors, such as industry, government, and nonprofit organizations,” said Koren Bedeau, assistant dean for academic affairs at the Graduate School.

Universities around the country are beginning to offer resources that provide their students with all potential post-Ph.D.-graduation avenues.

“A strategy of the UM Graduate School is to promote contemporary practices with regard to graduate instruction as we look to the future and the change of student demographics. I am delighted that Dr. Bedeau has broadened our offerings to students in this way,” said M. Brian Blake, vice provost of academic affairs and dean of the Graduate School.

The Versatile Ph.D. is available to all graduate students. In this virtual community, doctoral students can explore opportunities available to them in fields outside of academia and communicate with members who have successful careers. Premium content is available to UM students who register via http://www.miami.edu/vphd.

Examples of premium content include successful resumes and cover letters, success stories, career autobiographies, and access to archived panel discussions.

The Graduate School promotes the use of resources that help graduate students attain their career goals.

Access to high-speed Internet is crucial to the academic success of today’s college students. Offering flexibility in how courses are delivered, high-speed Internet is a popular commodity on campuses to facilitate access to academic support services and networking among students and faculty.

The first-ever ranking of the U.S. News & World Report “Most Connected Colleges” is a measure of schools’ effectiveness in providing these online services. The University of Miami is ranked No. 4 on this list of top schools offering advanced Internet connections and online resources. This recognition reflects the UM Department of Information Technology’s commitment to providing, securing, and supporting technology resources that enable the University to achieve national and international distinction and leadership in academics, research, and clinical care.

“I’m extremely proud of my team at UM for consistently providing innovative, secure, and reliable technology solutions in support of our students, faculty, and staff,” said Steve Cawley, vice president for Information Technology and chief information officer. “Being named to the U.S. News & World Report “Most Connected Colleges” list is evidence of our team’s commitment to and enthusiasm about the future of this University.”

Factors considered in the Most Connected Colleges ranking include the percentage of housing units with free Wi-Fi, the highest Internet bandwidth available to undergraduates on campus, and the ability for students to perform online tasks such as submitting tuition payments through a centralized system.

“This recognition echoes our mission to create a campus that is conducive to a terrific learning environment regardless of campus location and a vibrant student life,” said Pat Whitely, UM vice president for student affairs. “The University community continues to provide a multitude of services that support student accessibility and enhanced learning.”

The ranking is computed entirely from school responses to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges statistical survey collected during the spring and summer of 2012. The survey included questions asking schools to report on their technological offerings during the 2011-2012 academic year. Based on this information, U.S. News computed a Connectivity Index for each school: the sum of all point values awarded to schools based on their responses to the technology questions. The higher a school’s Connectivity Index, the better its Most Connected rank.

U.S. News has published rankings for all schools scoring 50 or higher in their Connectivity Index to showcase the schools that are closest to achieving the highest level of connectivity possible. The University of Miami received a score of 72, along with recognition for providing 100 percent of its college housing facilities with Wi-Fi.

Altogether, 278 out of 1,471 schools that supplied connectivity data, or 19 percent, were ranked. The Most Connected Colleges numerical rankings were assigned in descending order of schools’ unrounded Connectivity Indexes. A perfect Connectivity Index score is 100, and the lowest possible score is 0.

For the fourth year in a row, UM ranked in the top 50 in U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Colleges issue. UM is once again the highest-ranked school in Florida.

Beginning Monday, December 3, the Office of the Registrar’s main doors will be inaccessible due to construction on the Student Activities Center. Access to the Registrar’s Office will be available through the Food Court only. To gain access, please enter through the set of swinging doors at the far end of the food court (near Salsarita’s). The doors open to a hallway. Follow the hallway all the way around (to the left), and the back door to the Registrar’s Office will be the only door on the left side. Ample signage has been posted to assist in locating the office. Construction is expected to last through early January. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of the Registrar at 305-284-2294 or [email protected].

Earlier this year President Barack Obama outlined the steps that his administration is taking to make college more affordable and to ensure that students “know before they owe.”

In July, as part of that ongoing effort, the Obama administration unveiled the final version of the model financial aid award letter, or Shopping Sheet—an individualized standard financial aid letter that will help students understand their costs before making the final decision on where to enroll. The sheet will allow students to easily compare aid packages offered by different institutions.

Now the University of Miami is one of the more than 500 colleges and universities that have agreed to adopt the Shopping Sheet.

“The University of Miami is proud to partner with President Obama, the Department of Education, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to provide prospective students access to the Financial Aid Shopping Sheet beginning with the 2013-14 academic year,” said UM President Donna E. Shalala. “This valuable tool will allow students to easily compare aid packages offered by different institutions and will help them understand their costs before making the final decision on where to enroll.”

The Shopping Sheet makes clear the costs and responsibilities of student loans upfront (before students have enrolled), outlining their total estimated annual costs, institutional rates of completion and default, and information about potential monthly loan payments after graduation.

Ultimately the tool provides students and their families with useful information that can help them make a more informed decision about where to attend college. It also helps students to better understand the debt burdens they may face after graduation. To develop the Shopping Sheet, the U.S. Department of Education partnered with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a new independent agency established in the wake of the financial crisis.