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Submitted by: Tracy McGarrity, tracym@uca.edu on 11/12/2025

The Bear Essentials Food Pantry will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday from November 26 through November 28. We will reopen at 11 am on Monday, December 1.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Submitted by: Kim Eskola, Keskola@uca.edu on 11/11/2025

Bravo Bear was created by the Department of Exercise and Sport Science to honor and celebrate extraordinary employees at BT����who consistently go above and beyond in supporting the growth and development of our institution.

Each month, Bravo Bear will make its way across campus, visiting faculty and staff who have been nominated by their peers. This traveling recognition serves as a reminder of the dedication, care, and excellence that strengthen our BT����community.

November’s Bravo Bear was presented to Vicky Summers who spends countless hours ensuring that students are served through her role as the Registrar and assist faculty with enrollment. Along with her amazing staff, the Vicky works to make the registration and enrollment process seamless. Her leadership, patience and committment to students is just a few reasons why Vicky is our November Bravo Bear.

 

Submitted by: Jennifer Boyett, jboyett@uca.edu on 11/11/2025

Joan Shofner, associate vice president of campaign and development, has been selected as a 2025 Conway Area Chamber of Commerce Women in Business honoree in the nonprofit category. She will be recognized at the Insight Women in Business event on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 10 a.m. in Reynolds Performance Hall.

Shofner is a proven leader in nonprofit and higher education advancement whose vision and drive have transformed UCA’s fundraising success. Since joining BT����in 2010 as the university’s first Director of Advancement Research, Joan has steadily built a career defined by innovation, leadership, and results. Today she leads UCA’s Development Office and a team of eight professionals, cultivating a culture of collaboration and excellence that is recognized across campus and in the advancement field.

Shofner is an innovator who brings data and strategy together to achieve extraordinary results. Her leadership in adopting AI-driven platforms for donor engagement positioned BT����as a national example in leveraging technology to strengthen philanthropy. That initiative alone produced 225 new or increased gifts—76 of which exceeded $1,000—and Joan was invited to share UCA’s success story at the 2024 Fundraising AI Global Summit: Generate Good conference, where more than 9,000 registrants from 141 countries learned from her expertise. She co-presented with Gravyty and Susan G. Komen in a session titled Revolutionizing Donor Engagement: How AI Empowers Nonprofits to Scale Mid-Level and Major Gifts.

Shofner models excellence, encourages innovation, and celebrates team success. She has built an office defined by mutual respect, professional growth, and shared purpose, making UCA’s Development Office not only a high-performing unit but also a place where people want to work. Her influence extends well beyond metrics—she inspires the next generation of advancement professionals while ensuring her team feels valued and supported.

 

Submitted by: Kimberly Stubbs, kstubbs1@uca.edu on 11/11/2025

Heather Ledbetter, Senior Associate Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships here at UCA, was recently elected as the President Elect for 2026 for the Arkansas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and will serve as the President for the organization in 2027. Heather recently served as the conference chair for the Fall Conference for the organization at Degray Lake Resort State Park and is an avid supporter for financial aid professionals in the state of Arkansas. We are very thankful for Heather and her leadership to our staff at BT����where she serves as our overall financial aid staff trainer and keeps us up to date in the area of federal and state financial aid compliance rules and regulations.

 

Submitted by: Michelle Wynn, mwynn@uca.edu on 11/12/2025

The Center for Global Learning & Engagement is excited to announce that International Education Week (IEW) 2025 will be celebrated November 13th – 24th! IEW celebrates the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. With 320 students from over 70 countries here at UCA, IEW gives our international students the opportunity to share many facets of their culture with the community. Additionally, during this week we promote study abroad opportunities with the Office of Education Abroad, and to show how the work of academic departments and students can have a global impact. Please visit our webpage for registration and full details of the events.

Here are highlights from International Education Week November 13 – 24, 2025:

• ACIREMA Cross-Cultural Simulation Experience
• International Soccer Tournament
• Passport Kitchen
• Discover France: Study Abroad Info Session with Aix Marseille
• The COIL Journey: Sharing Strategies for Cross-Cultural Online Collaboration
• Understanding the Rise of K-Culture: K-Pop Demon Hunters in the Classroom
• Public Lecture: The Relevance of Madang in Global K-Pop’s Participatory Culture
• Global Expo
• Global Spotlight: Languages and Culture of India
• Discover Italy: Study Abroad Info Session with Sant’anna
• O Canada: NSE Exchange Made Easy with campuses to the north
• Global Cinema @ The Max

 

Submitted by: Michelle Wynn, mwynn@uca.edu on 11/12/2025

The Center for Global Learning and Engagement is again working with the Center for
Excellence in Teaching and Academic Leadership to offer the sixth annual Global Learning
Institute (GLI), which provides an introduction to Collaborative Online International Learning
(COIL). The two-day training will be held May 18-19, 2026.

Since summer 2021, 47 BT����faculty have attended the GLI with faculty members from our
international partners. As of fall 2025, BT����has trained 47 faculty in COIL methodology.
Thus far, 21 COIL-trained faculty in 5 Colleges and 12 different Departments or Schools
have taught a COIL for 605 BT����students.

GLI participants will learn about the COIL pedagogy and strategies for designing
collaborative projects aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
(). Participants also will hear from international partners and explore intended
and unintended learning outcomes, assessment practices, and research opportunities. GLI
participants will receive a $100 stipend and two catered lunches. Participants are expected
to attend both days and to work with an international partner during the 2026-27 academic
year to implement a COIL project.

Applications will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, April 14, 2026, and applicants
will be notified by late-April. Submit your application online!

What is COIL?

The term COIL was coined in 2006 by Jon Rubin, who worked for the State University of New
York (). According to Rubin (2021), “COIL utilizes the Internet to empower
students and instructors around the world to develop curiosity, flexibility, and generosity in
concert with their academic partners. This benefits two or more classrooms of collaborating
students, usually located in different countries, who have had different life experiences. COIL is
also a way for students and instructors to learn about their discipline from a new perspective
and can be a method for engaging those with other experiences and perspectives about how
this knowledge might be applied.”

For more information visit www.uca.edu/global-learning. Contact Dr. Phillip Bailey at
phillipb@uca.edu

Submitted by: Debbie Brigham, dbrigham@uca.edu on 11/11/2025

Hello Admin Bears!

Come and join us for lunch Friday, November 14th, 2025!

Where: Executive Dining Room, Christian Cafeteria (cafeteria entrance)
When: Friday, November 14, 2025
Time: 11:30-12:30 PM

Bring your lunch or purchase your meal from the cafeteria and come join us! We want to see you and wish you a Happy (early) Thanksgiving!

Wear your holiday attire!

Hope to see you there!

Your Admin Support Employee Resource Group Team

 

Submitted by: Jennifer Brewer, jbrewer1@uca.edu on 11/10/2025

We’ve reached Weeks 12 and 13 of the Faculty for Successful Students campaign. If you’ve been participating all semester, we see you, and the students definitely feel it.

If you’re just hopping in now, perfect timing. This is the point in the semester where students have about six tabs open in their brains at all times and could really use our help keeping things clear and manageable. The strategies we’re sharing this round are quick wins for staying focused and finishing strong.

This week’s Faculty for Successful Students focus is: Create Opportunities for Self-Knowledge.

Slide:

By reflecting on their strengths, weaknesses, and interests, students can make more informed academic and career choices, leading to increased motivation and academic success. Self-knowledge also fosters resilience and adaptive learning strategies, improving overall student well-being and performance.

Faculty Tips to Reinforce Success

Here are a few simple ways you can encourage these habits in your classes:

• Recommend StudentLingo videos and Academic Success Workshops through Student Success.
• Suggest an appointment with a peer success coach to explore strengths and challenges, and develop a Success Plan. (Appointments are available through the Student Success website.)
• Incorporate opportunities for students to reflect on their work in your class and how it connects with their personal and professional values and goals. Reflection can take the form of:
  • a brief discussion in pairs or small groups
  • an open-ended question as part of an exam or assignment
  • a discussion board or journal in Blackboard.

Resources for You:

• Faculty for Successful Students Webpage

The energy you bring to your teaching truly shapes the student experience. Thank you for helping students stay steady, curious, and confident as we approach the finish line.

Center for Excellence in Teaching and Academic Leadership & Student Success Services

/cetal/faculty-for-successful-students/

Submitted by: Scott Austin, saustin@uca.edu on 11/10/2025

If the sky is clear Wednesday night November 12th, the BT����Observatory will be open from 6pm to 8pm for the public to view Saturn, star clusters, nebulae and galaxies through the 14-inch aperture telescope. Stairs to the observatory are located in the front lobby of Lewis Science Center. If other entrances to LSC are locked, check the west doors.

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Submitted by: Kristen Oitker, koitker1@uca.edu on 11/10/2025

The Bears are back home on Sunday to take on Samford in nonconference action! Tipoff is set for 1 PM and doors open at 12 PM! Tickets can be claimed by clicking the link. Come out and support the Men’s Basketball team!