Welcome to the School of Education's newsletter, Sigma. You can access Sigma online at http://www.soe.umich.edu/sigma/index.html. If you have any comments or suggestions, please send them to . Deadline for submissions is noon on Wednesday. The next Sigma will be Friday, November 22, 2002. Sigma will not be issued on Friday, November 29 due to Thanksgiving.

Sigma Vol. XXXI, No. 36, November 15, 2002

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CALENDAR: NOVEMBER 17 - NOVEMBER 23

**Conversations with the Dean +

Date: Thursday, November 21

Time: 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.

Location: Tribute Room

You may send discussion items in advance to soe.staff.discussions at umich.edu

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Index

1. PALINCSAR NAMED CO-EDITOR

2. SOE STAFF HONORED FOR SERVICE

3. SOE GRADUATE DISCUSSION GROUP

4. DISSERTATION COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIPS

5. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY IN THE CLASSROOM

6. CALL FOR PAPERS

7. FACULTY PHOTOS AVAILABLE DIGITALLY

8. IRIS THANKSGIVING HOURS

9. INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL ADVISORY

10. HRD WORKSHOP

11. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MINUTES

12. CAMPUS EVENTS OF INTEREST

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1. PALINCSAR NAMED CO-EDITOR

Annemarie Sullivan Palincsar and Rich Lehrer (Vanderbilt University) have been named the new co-editors of the journal, "Cognition and Instruction." The journal is dedicated to research that enhances our understanding of the cognitive processes involved in learning and how particular forms of instruction may enhance those processes.

2. SOE STAFF HONORED FOR SERVICE

Three SOE staff members were recently honored at a dinner where they received U-M Service Awards. Jennifer Smith, Business Manager for the Study of Instructional Improvement in Educational Studies, was honored for 10 years of service and Eleanor Linn, Administrative Manager for the Programs for Educational Opportunity for 20 years of service at the University. Pat Natalie, Student Services Associate in the Office of Student Services, received her award for 30 years of service, all of which have been at the School of Education. Congratulations!

3. SOE GRADUATE DISCUSSION GROUP

At the recent GradShare Event, a school wide sharing of research, papers, and ideas, a discussion was held about points of intersection and building connections between departments and beyond to other schools and colleges on campus, and to the community, including K-12 education. Two questions were posed to begin the discussion: 1) What are the possible benefits and challenges of such collaborations? 2) Are there implications here for SOE? If you are interested in joining the discussion, please send an email to Al Hearn at ealhear at umich.edu.

4. DISSERTATION COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIPS

Susanna Elizabeth Hapgood

Professor Annemarie Palincsar (Chair)

Professor Susan Gelman (Cognate: Psychology)

Senior Research Associate Shirley Magnusson

Professor Scott Paris (Psychology)

"Motion in Action: A Study of Second Graders' Trajectories of Experience During Guided Inquiry Science Instruction"

Scott Powell McDonald

Associate Professor Nancy Songer (Chair)

Assistant Professor Priti Shah (Cognate: Psychology)

Assistant Professor Barry Fishman

Associate Professor Helen Harrington

"Teachers' Use of Scientific Inscriptions and Argumentation to Support and Organize a Learning Trajectory in an Inquiry-Based, Technology-Rich Biodiversity Curriculum"

Karen Nicola Williams

Professor Virginia Richardson (Chair)

Associate Professor Elizabeth Cole (Cognate: Afro-American & African Studies)

Professor Pamela Reid

Clinical Assistant Professor Shari Saunders

"Perceptions of School Mission in an African-Centered Public School: The Role of Gender and Academic Identity in a Community of Teachers and Learners"

5. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY IN THE CLASSROOM

A Selected List of Resources at http://www.lib.umich.edu/acadintegrity

The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching and the University Library have created a web site to help increase understanding of what academic integrity is in practice and in the breach. In addition, the site offers ideas for preventing and detecting plagiarism as well as guidance for using digital resources responsibly in the research process.

6. CALL FOR PAPERS

The doctoral program in Urban, Technological and Environmental Planning is organizing a symposium entitled "Crossing Disciplinary Boundaries in the Urban and Regional Context". The symposium will consist of four sessions to be held Friday afternoons in March/April 2003. Faculty, researchers and doctoral students from across the University are invited to electronically submit, as a Word attachment, abstracts for a 15-minute paper presentation no later than November 22, 2002 to zgocmen at umich.edu. For additional information, please contact mzellner at umich.edu or visit the web at http://www.caup.umich.edu/acadpgm/urp/utepsymposium.

7. FACULTY PHOTOS AVAILABLE DIGITALLY

If you've had your photo taken through the SOE Communications Office, we have digital copies of them. If you need a photo for publication, please contact our office at and we will send an electronic copy to you, a publisher, conference, etc.

8. IRIS THANKSGIVING HOURS

Iris will be closing for the Thanksgiving Holiday at noon on Wednesday, November 27 through Sunday, December 1. It will reopen with regular Fall hours on Monday, December 2. If you are teaching an afternoon class on Wednesday, November 27 and will need equipment please speak to one of the IRIS full-time staff as soon as possible.

9. INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL ADVISORY

The U-M International Travel Oversight Committee has issued a memo regarding a specific recommendation from the US State Department for persons traveling to India. Complete information about the travel advisory is available on the web at http://www.umich.edu/~icenter/overseas/travel.

10. HRD WORKSHOP

*Delegating for Results

Date: Thursday, December 5

Time: 8:30 a.m. - noon

11. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MINUTES

Full minutes are available from Becki Spangler in the Dean's Office.

== October 8, 2002 Meeting

*Budget Update

Assoc. Dean Eric Dey reported on SOE budget projections for the coming year, as well as the projected deficit we will need to eventually repay. He will be talking to each administrative unit to review their budget plans and to see where they can reduce costs. The Committee discussed methods to increase revenues including expanding one-year master's programs course offerings and the possibility of offering more non-degree programs.

Joe Krajcik summarized the rationale for the learning technologies position, citing the viability of the current program and the need to maintain our current prominence and visibility in this area. The Committee discussed this position along with other possible recruitments noting that the School must proceed carefully and must consider SOE needs with regard to programs in which we want and need to invest. After brief discussion, a motion carried to proceed with this search at the assistant professor level.

*Non-Tenure Practice Procedures

Dean Wixson indicated that the 1999 Non-Tenure Track Practice Guidelines document needed review because individuals holding these appointments will soon undergo reappointment review. It was suggested that the Executive Committee and the Promotions and Tenure Committee should be responsible for developing this process. Dean Wixson asked for volunteers to serve in this capacity and will appoint a committee this semester.

12. CAMPUS EVENTS OF INTEREST

The following events will be taking place around campus. You may get more information on each event via the listed web site, email or telephone (when available).

Interviews for Positions in Academe

Date: Tuesday, November 19

Time: 5:30-7:00 p.m.

Location: Maize and Blue Auditoriums, 1st Floor, Student Activities Building

"American Dreams Against the American Dilemma: How Upwardly Mobile Black Men Confront Race"

by Alford Young, Jr., U-M

Date: Thursday, November 21

Time: Noon - 1:30 p.m.

Location: 4050 LSA

Light refreshments will be provided.

English Language Institute Presentations

"A Corpus-Based Study Comparing Students' and Professors' Use of Formulaic Expressions"

by: Rita Simpson

"How Do You Give Instructions When Instructing? Evidence from a Corpus of Academic Speech"

by: Dushyanthi Mendis

"Student Presentations at the University of Michigan: Argument or 'Show and Tell'?"

by: Kathleen Shaw

"'Any Last Minute Thoughts on This Particular Search?' The Occurrence of Sentence-Initial Ellipsis in Academic Speech"

by: John M. Swales

Date: Friday, November 22

Time: Noon - 1:00 p.m.

Location: English Language Institute, TCF Building, Conf. Rm. B (#3145)

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Sigma is a weekly publication of the University of Michigan School of Education (bi-weekly during the summer). To subscribe to Sigma, please send an email to . SUBSCRIBE should be the subject. Deadline for submissions is noon on Wednesday. Please send items to . The next issue of Sigma will be Friday, November 22, 2002.