- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Workshops offered to help those on academic probation, Jan. 10

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 17:46:28 +0000

Students are invited to attend workshops on Jan. 10 focused on time management, stress management, and study skills. The workshops will run continuously from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Success Center second floor conference room. The workshops are a new initiative offered through the ��Vlog��ýLR Academic Success Center (ASC), in coordination with Undergraduate Academic Advising, Records and Registration, and Financial Aid. Although the primary audience is returning freshmen and sophomore students recently placed on academic probation, any student who believes he or she may benefit from the workshops may attend. “These workshops are being offered to help students get their semester started in a positive and helpful manner,” said ASC Director Kimberly Bright. In addition, Bright suggested students visit with their advisor about re-registering for certain classes in which a poor grade was received. Also, a visit to Financial Aid to see how probation may affect continued access to financial aid is highly recommended. “If a student received one or more poor grades, one of the best ways to avoid a negative impact on their academic standing is to retake those classes,” Bright said. “The sooner the student gets that GPA up, the quicker they are able to be in good academic standing and off probation; this is something all of us want for our students.” For more information about the workshops, call Bright at 501.569.3280.

Ace those finals with these tips

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 22:15:24 +0000

All students want to say so long to the fall semester by acing their finals. Purvi Parmar (currently pursuing a Master of Science in Information Quality), a graduate assistant in TRIO Student Support Services, organizes workshops for study skills and tutors SSS students. Here she shares some helpful study tips for finals. Don’t forget about the extended library hours this week, either. Following these tips and strategies can help students increase their understanding and enhance their test performance. So read on and pass that final like a PRO! Right Approach – Better Start: If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always gotten. Whether you study better with a group or prefer to be alone, studying for a final exam can make a huge difference on your final grades. It can be very stressful. However, if you know how to study in a correct way, you can make better grades without applying too much pain and effort, raising your GPA in the process. Keep up with the (POSSE stands for Plan, Organize, Study, Schedule, and Evaluate):

PLAN your study

Know your syllabus (What does it say?)
Know your subjects/materials
Know your test very well
Know your instructor and classmates – look for group study
Know your final – exam, research paper, project, or quiz
Know yourself (e.g. particular strength and/or weakness, most effective study time for you or awakening time for your brain chemistry).

ORGANIZE your studying strategy

The earlier you start studying, the better organized you will be. Cramming may work occasionally but, during finals, rushing your study material can be unfavorable to retaining information. Start reading or writing early to better grasp a deeper understanding of your subject. Go to class regularly; gather appropriate material or start collecting notes from the lectures; start working with a tutor; and construct a study plan.

SCHEDULE your study plan in a better way

Take a few minutes to prioritize. Decide which classes will have the most demanding finals, and then give those subjects extra time and study for those finals when you are most alert. Understand the value of time and make it count for your study. Avoid studying for long hours. Always take short breaks during study and reward yourself by watching TV, playing games, or something else relaxing. If you are a “morning person,” then try to schedule study time earlier in the day. And, if you are a “night-owl,” study after dark. Use the “Break It Down Method” either for scheduling your budgeted time or for strategic study, such as studying only one subject for one hour per chapter.

STUDY at your best

Study with proper concentration and the right mindset. Make study enjoyable and fit in your study environment. Study different subjects alternately. Use some technique for good memory development, like making poems, rhymes or acronyms, mind maps, outlines, stories, or flashcards. Make clear revisions within 48 hours of your reading or study. Be careful about immersing yourself ‘too much’ in subject material.

EVAL��Vlog��ýTE yourself

Do so by making a self-practice exam and review your past papers (what mistakes you have made?) or imaginatively ask questions like the instructor. Look for an available practice test and create a self-exam environment to practice in order to reduce fear of exams and boost your confidence level. Don’t categorize yourself. In addition, try to work with your instructor and tutors. If you are struggling to understand or grasp certain concepts, consider studying for your final exam with a tutor. Eat well and get plenty of rest. Pulling all-nighters is counter-productive and can actually cause grades to suffer. Drink plenty of water to ensure your brain is at its peak so you can concentrate while studying and taking the exam. Last, but not least, stay away from distractions such as Facebook, Twitter, messaging, chatting, parties and hangouts with friends. Avoid trying to work with a stressful study partner. Put all electronic gadgets away and focus all of your mind power on studying. Remember, be positive and don’t forget to taste the reward by celebrating a good exam result or your accomplishment of a project. It will reinforce your disciplined study habits and fuel your motion toward success. POSSE: A Study Plan For Objective Exams. Retrieved Nov. 13, 2013, from www.cas.lsu.edu, Center for Academic Success:

Undaunted biology student among leading grads this Saturday

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:16:47 +0000

Senior biology major Azure Yarbrough is among the more than 1,500 students who are expected to participate in ��Vlog��ýLR’s Spring Commencement on Saturday, May 18, at the Jack Stephens Center. Yarbrough, 35, knows a thing or two about diligence. She is graduating after a 17-year gap since she first enrolled as a full-time college student. There will be no such gap when she starts graduate school this fall, however. Yarbrough will focus her studies on cellular and molecular biology at the master’s level, leading to a Ph.D. in applied bioscience from ��Vlog��ýLR. This summer, she hopes to work in the biology lab at ��Vlog��ýLR, trying to replicate a protein based recombinant gene known as RabK2. “I prefer to never be bored,” she said, “and cellular and molecular biology lets me ask new questions. Plus, it’s really interesting to see the relationships between organisms. Who would have thought we humans had something in common with worms?” Yarbrough attended college for two years directly after high school and originally dreamed of going to work for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. But her education was placed on hold following the birth of her daughter, who had a bleeding disorder. Five years later, her son was also born with the disorder, initially diagnosed with severe autism accompanied by violent outbursts. His final diagnosis was sensory integration dysfunction. To support herself and her children, Yarbrough worked two and sometimes three jobs. But whether she was bartending, assisting at a veterinarian clinic, or helping disassemble vehicles at a garage, she never stopped dreaming of returning to school.

One Dream Realized, Another Ignited

Three years ago, her grandmother’s generous offer to pay for tuition enabled Yarbrough to stop thinking about, and instead, start living her dream. Two weeks into her first molecular biology course, Yarbrough says she found something she could do forever. “When I found that class, everything fell into place. That class compared to three jobs was nothing,” she said, laughing. Along the way, Yarbrough, a Supplemental Instruction Leader at the Academic Success Center, also realized she had a knack for teaching. “I’m not highly motivated by money,” she said. “I want to investigate what I want to study, and teaching allows you that freedom.” Yarbrough said tutoring, with all its perks and drawbacks, is fine, but helping adults who want to learn is really a lot of fun. “I’ve had a lot of students say I was really good at it, plus I love being at school,” she said. Yarbrough was so determined to finish her undergraduate degree that even a prolonged hospital stay last year due to an abscessed mass and kidney failure did not deter her. When asked what kept her going through the years, she answered, “my kids.” She said her children, now 15 and 10, will no doubt cheer her on as she leads her college as a student marshal during the processional at commencement, an honor bestowed on outstanding students. “I want them to know that no matter how hard it is, you can still achieve your goal,” Yarbrough said. “Life is full of difficulties and challenges, but you have to know how to overcome them.”

��Vlog��ýLR Lands 5 More Years of McNair Funding

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 17:28:36 +0000

Despite federal cuts, ��Vlog��ýLR’s Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program has won funding approval from the U.S. Department of Education for the next five years, a total of $1.23 million. ��Vlog��ýLR’s program was among only 17 institutions that received approval in a second round of funding announced this fall. “This is important because the federal government cut the number of McNair Programs supported across the nation from 200 to 151,” said Gwendolyn Middleton, assistant director of the McNair program in the ��Vlog��ýLR Academic Success Center. “Forty-nine schools lost their McNair funding in this grant competition because and reallocated to the Upward Bound Math and Science Program. We were very fortunate to have been funded in this cycle in lieu of this massive cut.” The grant supports the mission of the TRiO Programs to prepare low-income, first-generation, and under-represented students for the next step in their academic journey. “Specifically, we provide graduate school preparation for our target population so that they may be better equipped to attain a doctoral degree,” Middleton said.

Since 2007, ��Vlog��ýLR’s McNair program has served 144 students. Beginning October 2013, the number of students who will be helped annually will increase to 28.

Academic Advising Team Wins ‘Best in State’

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 20:25:27 +0000

��Vlog��ýLR’s Collegiate Success Program’s (CSP) presentation “Using Collaboration to Foster Developmental Students’ Holistic Success” was voted “Best of State” at the Arkansas Academic Advising Network’s Spring 2010 Conference. Dr. Trakenya Dobbins, director of the Academic Success Center, and the two CSP academic advisors — Ashley McCafferty and Kimberly Moorehead — made their presentation at Pulaski Technical College in North Little Rock to academic advisors and administrators working across the state. In winning “Best of State,” the CSP presenters received an automatic invitation to present their topic at the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) Region 7 Conference in Oklahoma City in March 2011. In October, McCafferty and Moorehead will present their topic on a national level in Orlando, Fla., at the NACADA’s 2010 Annual Conference.

Grad Couple Honored for Campus Support

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:17:16 +0000

Marilyn and Greg Brown of Deer Mountain, Utah – formerly of Benton – each earned a bachelor of business administration degree, and he went on to graduate from the Bowen School of Law. But they never really left campus. As active alumni, they have been examples of graduates who honor their ��Vlog��ýLR experiences by supporting the University with their time, energy, and financial resources. Now, ��Vlog��ýLR is honoring the couple’s devotion by naming a tutoring center on campus, “The Marilyn and Greg Brown Academic Success Center” in the Jack Stephens Center. On a return visit to Arkansas the couple will see for the first time a bronze plaque honoring them. The plaque permanently recognizes the Browns for their support of the University and the Trojan Athletic Department and includes a quote from Italian inventor and artist Leonardo da Vinci: “Learning never exhausts the mind.” The plaque honors the Browns for their past and continuing support of ��Vlog��ýLR, including:

Greg Brown’s service as a member of the Board of Visitors and the ��Vlog��ýLR Foundation Fund Board.
Marilyn Brown’s service as a member of the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Board of Directors and the Trojan Athletic Foundation Board.
The couple’s long-time friendship to the Trojan Athletic Department.
Their membership in the ��Vlog��ýLR Heritage Society, established to recognize alumni and friends who have made provisions in their estate plans for gifts to be made to the University.
Membership in the Ottenheimer Brothers Society that recognizes cumulative giving in excess of $250,000.

“The Browns understand the value of education for the individual, for the community, and society as a whole,” said Chancellor Joel E. Anderson. He and his wife, Ann, will host a dinner for the Browns during their visit. For more information about ��Vlog��ýLR’s giving societies, contact Bob Denman, executive director of the ��Vlog��ýLR’s Office of Development.

Applications Sought for Summer, Fall Internships

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:45:51 +0000

The McNair Scholars Program at ��Vlog��ýLR is accepting applications for its Summer 2010 Research Internship. The program is also seeking applications for the first Fall 2010 Research Internship. Eligible applicants will have the opportunity to work with a mentor on campus conducting professional research. “We also prepare students for graduate school through GRE preparation workshops and seminars designed to give insight on many obstacles students face in graduate school,” said Gwendolyn Middleton, assistant director of the McNair Scholars Program. “Students meeting our program requirements will receive stipends totaling $2,800. Applicant should achieve junior status for the start of the internship and hold at least a 2.75 grade point average. For more information, contact the center at 501-569-8747.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock