Academic Affairs

My UNC Charlotte (my.charlotte.edu) successfully launched in early October and will replace 49er Express. On Nov. 12, at approximately 5:30 a.m., 49er Express will fully retire, and My UNC Charlotte will serve as the main portal. The original retire date, Nov. 16, was moved up as some functionalities are ending sooner than anticipated.

Adult Student Week is Nov. 2-6, and the Office of Adult Students and Evening Services (OASES) is scheduling several events as part of its celebration.

The observance kicks off from 4 to 6 p.m., Monday, Nov. 2; adult and nontraditional students are invited to join OASES for pizza and cookies in the Barnard Building, Room 106.

Todd Zakrajsek, executive director of the Academy of Educators, UNC School of Medicine, will present “How Students Learn: Strategies for Teaching Based on the New Science of Learning” at 2 p.m., Friday, Oct. 30, in the College of Health and Human Services, Room 376.

Zakrajsek, who also is an associate professor in the School of Medicine and the Department of Family Medicine at UNC Chapel Hill, is the author of “The New Science of Learning: How to Learn in Harmony with Your Brain.” The work was the Center for Teaching and Learning Common Read for the fall semester.

Carlos Castillo-Chavez, Regents Professor and the Joaquín Bustoz Jr. Professor of Mathematical Biology at Arizona State University, will discuss the recruitment of students and faculty from underrepresented groups at 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 28, in the Atkins Library Halton Reading Room. Lunch will be provided; email RSVPs to advanceuncc@uncc.edu.

On Saturday, Oct. 17, UNC Charlotte hosted a large crowd of visitors on campus for the 40th installment of its International Festival, and thousands more experienced the wonder of the festival via a live webcast.

This annual event featured the traditional offerings of art, costumes, games music, dance and food representing cultures from around the world. New for 2015, in recognition of the festival’s four decades, the Office of International Programs introduced a lively procession of nations and a celebratory fireworks presentation.

Lindsey Pollak, a national career expert, will speak at 2 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 29, in Cone University Center, McKnight Hall.

The Department of Sociology in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences is the 2015 recipient of the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology received the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Academic Advising.  Also, José Gámez, associate professor of architecture, was presented the Provost’s Faculty Award for Community Engagement.

The InnovateHER Challenge national prize competition organized by the Small Business Administration (SBA), in partnership with Microsoft, is seeking products and services that impact and empower the lives of women and families.

Regional competitions are under way to identify 10 national finalists that will compete for $70,000 in cash prizes funded by Microsoft.

The Charlotte regional competition, hosted by Ventureprise and UNC Charlotte, invites applications; the deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The Center for Teaching and Learning has launched a new professional learning community for adjunct instructors at the University. Its goal is to build community among the participants and provide pedagogical support, which will benefit the faculty members as well as their students.

World religions take various approaches to answer the question “Is There Life after Death?” Representatives from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths will share their perspectives on the afterlife in a panel discussion at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 19, in the Student Union Theater. The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life is sponsoring this event.

Speakers for the Oct. 19 discussion are: