30 August 2012

KOKOMO, Ind. — Rhonda Armstrong, dean of the Indiana University Kokomo Library, will serve as a leader among her peers this year as a member of the Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI) Board of Directors.

Rhonda Armstrong

"It is a humbling honor to be chosen to serve on the state board," Armstrong said. "It reflects the respect our colleagues have for the IU Kokomo Library."

During her one-year term, the board will develop a new strategic plan for the organization, and will continue its mission to promote information literacy, as well as teaching people how to find, analyze, and use information.

Chancellor Michael Harris congratulated Armstrong on her appointment.

"Dean Armstrong's selection is a great testimony to her leadership, and to the exceptional work that is being done at IU Kokomo, and is being recognized statewide," Harris said.

The ALI supports member libraries by allowing them to purchase materials as a group for a better price than they could get alone, allowing them to use their resources more effectively.

Susan Sciame-Giesecke, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, said Armstrong's appointment "is a key strategic position for Armstrong and for IU Kokomo."

"Our goal is to raise awareness of the need for information literacy skills for people of all ages, from preschool to retirement," Armstrong said. "The way we find information has changed dramatically, thanks to technology, and we can teach people how to find the best sources of information for their needs."

In addition, the ALI is a host to conferences and workshops for members to keep up on the latest developments, one of which took place on the IU Kokomo campus in 2011.

ALI is an organization representing all academic libraries in accredited non-profit institutions of higher education in Indiana. The 72 members include major research libraries, law and medical libraries, theological school libraries, and many undergraduate libraries.

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

29 August 2012

STATEHOUSE (Aug. 29, 2012) – State Sen. Jim Buck (R-Kokomo) will serve as a member of Indiana University-Kokomo's (IUK) Board of Advisors, after being appointed by Chancellor Michael Harris earlier this month.

Sen. Jim BuckIn 1972, Indiana University's Board of Trustees established advisory boards for its regional campuses.

Direct duties of IUK board members include advising the chancellor on the educational needs of the region, providing a proper educational environment for students to succeed and serving as advocates for the university.

"I am honored and delighted to have Sen. Buck join the IU Kokomo Advisory Board," Harris said. "His expertise and experience will bring an added value to the board and to our campus. Sen. Buck is a great friend of our campus and of higher education."

Buck will serve as one of up to 25 at large members on the board, which is comprised of business and industry executives, professionals, community leaders and elected officials.

"I am humbled to serve on this board and play a small part in IUK's continued growth and development," Buck said. "Education is a top priority for our state, and I look forward to working with local community leaders to promote the continued success of this great institution."

29 August 2012

KOKOMO, Ind. – Four days after Indiana University Kokomo downed Purdue University Calumet in the Illinois Institute of Technology Kickoff Tournament, the Peregrines traveled to the City of Firsts and returned the favor by downing the Cougars in a five-set volleyball thriller (23-25, 25-14, 15-25, 25-18, 13-15). The loss to a Calumet team that arrived short-handed due to injuries was hard for the Cougars to accept.

Brooke Mathias returns the volleyball. See more photos here.

"I know the girls are super disappointed because we beat this team in the tournament," said IU Kokomo Head Coach Kristen Snoddy. "I don't know – we have a film of it and we will look at it and start working on the things we can improve."

The decisive set saw the home team nearly complete a come-from-behind victory after trailing 8-3, 13-7 and 14-8. A Calumet error, followed by a long baseline hit, started the momentum in the Cougars favor, cutting the lead to 14-10. Rachael Williams (Kendall, Wis./Royall [Goshen College]) entered to serve for Kokomo, and she helped rally the Cougars, thanks to kills by Brittany Nelson (Delphi, Ind./Delphi [Kankakee C.C.]) and Rachel Allen (Lizton, Ind./Tri-West) and a Purdue hit out of bounds. But Calumet's Jesse Miller (Grove City, Ohio/Grove City) raced to the net on a set and fired off the match-winning kill.

"I thought Rachael Williams came in and did a nice job for us in the last set," said Snoddy. "I subbed her in because she has pretty good control over her serves. And Brittany came back from injury and was eligible, and I thought she played well."

The return of Nelson to the Cougars' lineups meant a small learning curve for the squad, and, while not making excuses, Snoddy said both the coaching staff and the team need to learn the new roles that are on the court.

"(Brittany's return) means we have to get used to new body on the court, and we have to adjust to that," Snoddy said. "And as coaches, we are learning on where to put everyone now that our team is healthy."

The Cougars got off to a slow start in all three sets they lost. In the first set, they scored the first point on an ace by freshman Cortney Hanson (Winamac, Ind./Pioneer), only to watch the Peregrines score the next six points and 11 of 13. Kokomo tried to get back in the game. Trailing 11-3, Allen blasted a kill and Calumet had an unforced error to cut the lead to six. Then Megan Riley (New Palestine, Ind./New Palestine) bookended a pair of blocks around a pair of Heather Tolson (Frankfort, Ind./Clinton Prairie [Kankakee C.C.]) kills to trim the Calumet advantage to 11-10. But that is as close as the Cougars would get in the 25-23 loss.

In set three, the Cougars trailed 1-0 and 10-5 en route to the 10-point loss. And in the fifth set, Calumet (1-4) scored the first two points and five of the first seven.

"It seemed like this was a match where whoever got off to a quick start took the set," said Snoddy. "I thought our hitting was a little off tonight. We have some people who have been consistent for us who struggled early."

Snoddy pointed to a bright spot as she thought her squad maintained a competitive attitude the entire match. She noted that on previous nights, the squad did not respond as well to adversity and may not have been able to make the comeback like they did tonight in the fifth set.

"We have had some trouble getting down on ourselves in matches," said the second year Lady Cougars coach. "I didn't feel like we did that tonight. Our play was consistent and our support for each other and our intensity was good."

The Lady Cougars (1-5) return to action on Aug. 31 and Sep. 1 at St. Xavier University before traveling to Anderson University on Sep. 5. They return home on Sep. 20 for a 7 p.m. contest against Indiana University Northwest at the new home of the Lady Cougars – Maple Crest Middle School (located across from the IU Kokomo campus).

By Dean Hockney
Publisher, Sports Journal of Central Indiana
For Indiana University Kokomo

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

28 August 2012

KOKOMO, Ind — High school students not prepared for college-level math usually take longer to graduate, and are more likely to drop out with significant student debt, but no degree.

Teresa Kennelly focuses on taking the test.

Indiana University Kokomo received a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Howard County to enhance college math readiness. The campus is partnering with the Kokomo-Center School Corp. to assure Kokomo High School students are prepared for college-level math classes when they graduate.

High school math preparation is a key to earning a college degree and graduating in a timely manner. More than 30 percent of Indiana students enrolling in four-year colleges require at least one remedial math course before they are ready for college-level math. Remedial classes do not count towards a college degree, and increase the cost of a college education.

The project aims to assess and identify any math deficiencies that need to be addressed before students go to college. This week, all Kokomo High School students are taking the IU Kokomo math placement test, which will reveal their readiness for college math.

Chancellor Michael Harris said the project addresses a serious roadblock students face in earning a college degree.

"As a regional campus, we are committed to proactively addressing a very serious problem related to timely college completion rates in our service region," he said. "We are responding to the call from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and the Indiana Department of Education to find ways to partner with our colleagues in K-12 schools to address college math readiness."

After students receive their test results, IU Kokomo math faculty will work with Kokomo-Center math teachers to enhance curriculum and develop teaching strategies to prepare students for college-level math. Students will re-take the test in May to evaluate progress.

Kokomo-Center Schools Superintendent Jeff Hauswald appreciates the opportunity to work with the campus in preparing students for college.

"I am delighted that IU Kokomo initiated working with our students and teachers to enhance college readiness. We are committed to increasing our rate of students who are prepared for college."

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.