Education USA Weekly Update     

No. 74 March 24, 2008

I. Scholarships and Fellowships

• Scholarship for Undergraduate violinist and assistantship for a national or international graduate violinist, Western Illinois School University of Music
• North Central Missouri College Scholarships for International Students
• Undergraduate Scholarships at Pine Manor College
• Charles and Kathleen Manatt Democracy Studies Fellowship Program
• Post Doctoral Fellow at the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS) at the University of Oklahoma
• 2008–2009 Postdoctoral Fellowship Program for Advanced Historical Research in Islamic Art & Architecture

II. News you can use
• Ethics Updates
• To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence
• UK student numbers 'set to fall'

I. Scholarships and Fellowships

Scholarship for Undergraduate violinist and assistantship for a national or international graduate violinist, Western Illinois School University of Music

Western Illinois University is pleased to announce one scholarship opportunity for an international undergraduate violinist and one assistantship opportunity for a national or international graduate violinist. The student who is awarded this assistantship is expected to begin study at Western Illinois University in the fall 2008 semester

Any consideration you may provide to bring this to the attention of interested students will be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, please email or call me.

The School of Music has over 40 full-time faculty and 240 music majors for 2006-7. The close student/faculty ratio enables us to fully commit ourselves to the academic progress of our students. Our school has a new 500-seat concert hall that is an ideal venue for solo, chamber music and orchestra concerts as well as for recordings of professional quality. For ease of reference I have included links to the School of Music http://www.wiu.edu/music/html/about.shtml  
http://www.wiu.edu/music/faculty/mihai.shtml.

For more information, please contact Julieta Mihai, the Assistant Professor of Violin at Western Illinois University School of Music in Macomb, Illinois, and the first violinist of the Julstrom String Quartet. She is also the concertmaster of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Illinois Chamber Orchestra in Springfield.

Julieta Mihai, DMA
E-mail: J-Mihai@wiu.edu
Cell: (309) 331-3835
Office: (309) 298-2165
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North Central Missouri College Scholarships for International Students

North Central Missouri College is seeking international students who would like to study in the United States of America in a safe and rural environment. North Central Missouri College is located in Trenton, Missouri, a town of approximately 6000 people in the Green Hills area of north central Missouri.

As a community college with an enrollment of 1506 students, North Central Missouri College offers an Associate in Arts university transfer degree as well as Associate in Science degrees. NCMC is accredited therefore, credits transfer to other institutions. The college has been awarded the maximum accreditation of 10 years by the Missouri Coordination Board for Higher Education and The Higher Learning Commission.

North Central Missouri College also offers an additional program where a student can take courses with North Central Missouri College and also with Northwest Missouri State University or pursue a Bachelors degree with Northwest Missouri State University on the campus of North Central Missouri College.

The field of studies that a student can pursue a portion or all of their Bachelor's from Northwest Missouri State University on the campus of North Central Missouri College are: Nursing, Business, Agriculture, and Education.

The Associate in Arts takes on the average 2 years to complete with the transfer program for a Bachelors degree from Northwest Missouri State University taking, on the average, an additional 2 years to complete for a total of 4 years of study for a Bachelor's degree completion for the average student.

Graceland University out of Lamoni, Iowa also offers a Bachelors of Education on the NCMC campus as well. A student would complete the Associate in Arts transfer degree (AA) or Associate in Arts in Teaching (AAT) with North Central Missouri College which takes on the average 2 years to complete and then transfer to Graceland University on NCMC's campus for the remaining 2 year completion of the Bachelors degree.

Tuition and Fees
North Central Missouri College is affordable. The tuition rate is $153 a credit hour. This includes some fees. Books are extra, averaging about $600 for the year. They have housing for students on campus. The cost for the school year for a room in the dormitories and a 17 meal- a- week plan for the cafeteria is $4782. The dormitory fee includes high speed internet to the room, computer labs in the dorms, cable TV, and laundry facilities.

North Central Missouri College offers scholarships for international students.

Contact
For admission requirements, contact
Karla McCollum: kmccollum@mail. ncmissouri. edu
Ginny Wikoff at gwikoff@mail. ncmissouri. edu
or by phone at 660-359-3948 ext 1401
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Undergraduate Scholarships at Pine Manor College

Pine Manor is a small, private college for women located in a safe beautiful suburb of Boston, MA. Founded in 1911, Pine Manor offers a high quality education to a diverse and inclusive community.

Small scholarships are still available for international students and determined upon admissions evaluation. They review applications weekly for Fall 2008 enrollment.

Pine Manor provides:
a.. Unique Enhanced First Year program (EFY) is designed to help ESL and international students bridge the language gap during their first year of undergraduate studies. With credit-bearing classes, students are on track to graduate in 4 years. Reading comprehension and Grammatical writing classes
offer additional English support.

b.. Leadership Mission - Pine Manor prepares women for roles of inclusive
leadership and social responsibility in their workplaces, families and communities

c.. On-site English Language Institute - coed program providing intensive English language classes year round. Conditional admission offered.

d.. Small Class Sizes- an average of 15 students per class and 10:1 student to faculty ratio

e.. One of the oldest internship programs with over 1,000 sites

f.. Cross Registration Opportunities at Boston College, Babson College and the Marine Studies Consortium

g.. Learning Resource Center (LRC) offers professional tutoring and other individualized services at no additional cost

h.. Among the most affordable private colleges in the U.S.; Tuition: $18,957.; Room and meals: $11,115.; Global scholarships from $2,000-$5,000 offered

i.. Ranked #1 for campus diversity among BA liberal arts colleges in the country (US News and World Report America's Best Colleges 2007)

j.. Comprehensive Portfolio Program

k.. 7 Varsity Athletic Teams in NCAA Division III: Basketball, Softball, Volleyball, Soccer, Tennis, Cross-Country, Lacrosse

Contact Admissions at admissions@pmc. edu

View international pages at www.pmc.edu/ international

Online Application at http://www.pmc. edu/admissions/ index.html

Contact
Janna Spinazola
Director of International Recruitment
Pine Manor College
400 Heath Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
Skype: jannaspin
MSN: jannaspin@hotmail
tel +;1-617-731-7068 fax +;1-617-731-7102
E-mail: SpinazoJ@pmc. Edu
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Charles and Kathleen Manatt Democracy Studies Fellowship Program

IFES is pleased to announce that applications are currently being accepted for the Charles and Kathleen Manatt Democracy Studies Fellowship Program.  Mr. Manatt, former U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic and former Chair of IFES' Board of Directors, and his wife Kathleen, fund up to two, eight- to ten-week fellowships each year exclusively to graduate students attending universities in the American Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, or Wisconsin).

Manatt Fellows receive a stipend of $5,000 and work just three blocks from the White House at IFES' international headquarters in the heart of downtown Washington, D.C. Working alongside IFES experts involved in a variety of challenging and exciting international projects, Fellows are based at IFES' F. Clifton White Applied Research Center and have access to its leading collection of democracy-building materials highly regarded by policymakers and researchers.
Eligibility:
Graduate students working towards a degree in international relations, political science, public administration or a related area (including international students)
* Ph.D. candidates should be pre-dissertation students only.
* Applications must be postmarked by 14 April 2008 to the address below.
* Students must be attending a university in the American Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, or Wisconsin). Founded in 1987, IFES is an international, nonprofit organization that supports the building of democratic societies. IFES currently has programs in over 20 countries supporting civil society groups, the rule of law, human rights, transparent governance and election administration. Manatt Fellows will have the opportunity to work and learn with a diverse group of professionals who have extensive experience in all areas of elections and democratic development.

Please visit www.ifes.org/arc-fellowships.html or contact me for additional information.

Lisa Kammerud
Research Officer, Applied Research Center
IFES
1101 15th Street, N.W., Third Floor
Washington, D.C. 20005
Tel: 202.350.6730 Fax: 202.822.9744
Email: lkammerud@ifes.org
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POST DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP NATIONAL WEATHER CENTER NORMAN, OKLAHOMA

"WEAVING SOCIAL SCIENCE INTO THE NATIONAL WEATHER CENTER"
A Collaborative Activity between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Oklahoma
 
Applications are invited for a newly established position as a Post Doctoral Fellow to be housed in the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS) at the University of Oklahoma (OU) in Norman, Oklahoma. This new activity is a partnership involving the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory, the OU Vice President for Research,
the Oklahoma Climatological Survey (OCS), CIMMS, the Center for Spatial Analysis (CSA), and the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences.
 
The appointee will enter on the ground floor of an exciting, unprecedented effort to integrate social science into the new National Weather Center located on the University's Research Campus. The National Weather Center brings together students, scientists, numerous public agencies, the university, and practitioners - all of which are engaged
in various aspects of the weather and climate enterprise. The appointee will be part of a team that includes one senior scientist and two Ph.D. students. The selected Post-Doc will help establish a new program in integrated social science activities at the National Weather Center.
 
Applicants must have: (1) a Ph.D. or equivalent (or be in the final stages of the dissertation before applying) in meteorology, geography, communications, anthropology, decision sciences, economics, environmental policy, or a related field; (2) a strong commitment to a balanced approach between theory and practice in interdisciplinary research; (3) evidence of research potential in an area of societal impacts of weather and climate; (4) the ability to work independently and cooperatively with others; (5) excellent communication skills; and 6) demonstrated written communication skills (including papers
published in or submitted to refereed journals).
 
 
 
Applicants should be familiar with the work of the Weather and Society Integrated Studies program (WAS*IS; www.sip.ucar.edu/wasis <http://www.sip.ucar.edu/wasis> ) and the Summer Policy Colloquium sponsored by the American Meteorological Society
 
(www.ametsoc.org/atmospolicy/colloquium_summer.html
<http://www.ametsoc.org/atmospolicy/colloquium_summer.html> ).
 
Applicants should submit a letter of application stating the applicant's vision for this Post-Doc appointment, a CV, and the names and contact details for three (3) referees. The letter of application also should discuss ways whereby the applicant's work adds to and complements existing and/or new programs dedicated to integrating social science
into meteorology.

This position is a full-time, fixed term appointment and is funded by a 50/50 partnership between NOAA and the University of Oklahoma. The incumbent will serve a customary probationary period during the first year and can be extended for two additional years subject to satisfactory performance.
 
Submit application materials to:
Dr. Peter Lamb, Director
Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies
Suite 2100, 120 David L. Boren Blvd.
Norman, OK 73072
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2008–2009 Postdoctoral Fellowship Program for Advanced Historical Research in Islamic Art & Architecture
 

The Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture is pleased to invite applications for fellowships to conduct advanced historical research in Islamic art and architecture at Harvard University. Grants are intended principally for overseas scholars (preferably, but not exclusively, from Muslim countries) to support research in art and architectural history and archaeology. These fellowships are not intended to sponsor design, conservation, or development projects. We welcome applications both from established scholars and
from recent post-doctoral graduates. All applicants must have a Ph.D. degree to be eligible.
 
The duration of the fellowship ranges from a minimum of 3 months to a maximum of 9 months. Awards consist of a stipend plus travel and research expenses. The stipend awarded is based on need and length of stay and may not exceed a total of $27,000 (before taxes). Scholars with their own financial resources or other sources of funding are also encouraged to apply for fellowships without stipend.
 
Each Fellow will be responsible for finding his or her own housing for the term of the
fellowship. The program will provide full library access and an e-mail account. Each Fellow is expected to deliver a public lecture on his or her project during the term and is encouraged to publish project findings in Muqarnas, an annual publication of the Aga Khan Program.
 
Please send to the address below two copies of each of the following: curriculum vitae, two-page research proposal, sample of previous research publication(s), dates of intended stay with proposed budget, and two letters of recommendation from two sources.
 
The application submission deadline is April 14, 2008. Results will be announced before the end of June. Application materials must be submitted in hard copy only. Applications received incomplete and/or after the deadline will not be considered by the committee.
 
The Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture, Fellowship Program, Sackler Museum, 485 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA Please direct any inquires to agakhan@fas.harvard.edu or 617-495-2355, or go to http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~agakhan/index2.html.

II. News you can use

Ethics Updates
http://ethics.sandiego.edu/
Created in 1994 by Professor Lawrence M. Hinman of the University of San Diego, the Ethics Updates site is designed primarily to be used to ethics instructors and their students. However, the site is rather interesting, so members of the general public may find themselves making a few return visits. Visitors can use the drop-down tabs on the top of the homepage to make their way through sections that cover some of the basic theories of ethics and also learn more about applied ethics in relation to such issues as animal rights, torture, and world hunger. Moving on, the "Resources" area includes case studies for discussion, a glossary of terms, classic texts in ethics, and ethics surveys. The site is rounded out by a search engine and a selection of videos that deal with various topics in ethics. From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/
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To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence
http://www.nea.gov/research/ToRead.pdf
In 2004, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) published their groundbreaking report, "Reading at Risk," which took a critical look at voluntary reading patterns and test scores, and revealed some rather dire trends along the way. November 2007 saw the publication of another thought-provoking report, "To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence." This 100-page report offers a comprehensive analysis of reading patterns of children, teenagers, and adults in the United States. The report draws on data from over 40 sources, including federal agencies, universities, foundations, and associations. The report includes an executive summary, introduction, and three sections: "Youth Voluntary Reading Patterns," "What the Declines Mean for Literacy «and» Why More than Reading is at Risk." Alternately enlightening and troubling, this report will be of great interest to policymakers, educators, librarians, and countless other parties. From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/

UK student numbers 'set to fall'
Numbers of UK undergraduates are expected to fall over the next decade, a study suggests. A report for Universities UK - the umbrella body for university leaders - says there will be a fall in the numbers of 18 to 20-year-olds.  The overall decline equates to 70,000 full-time undergraduate places over the next 10 years, the authors say.
Other figures show a continued rise in overseas students at UK universities - particularly those from India.

In the period from 2005/6 to 2006/7, there was a 7% rise in the number of students from non-EU countries studying in the UK. Total numbers of non-EU students rose from 223,855 to 239,210, according to figures released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
The number of university students from India rose by 24% from 19,205 to 23,835 over that time.

Polish students
China remains the source of the highest number of non-UK higher education students, although numbers fell by 2% from 50,755 in 2005/06 to 49,595 in 2006/07.
Over the same time period, the number of university students from EU countries rose by 6%, from 106,225 to 112,260. The biggest increase was among Polish students, whose number rose by 56% from 4,325 in 2005/06 to 6,770 in 2006/07.  The number of students from Lithuania and Latvia also increased dramatically - by 53% and 64% respectively.
The largest group of students from another EU country studying in the UK is from the Irish Republic. Numbers dipped slightly though, falling 3% from 16,790 to 16,255.
Poorer backgrounds  The report for Universities UK looks at demographic trends which could influence higher education.  The authors say the number of non-EU students at all levels of study is expected to increase by 4% by 2026/27.  In the next 10 years there could be a "moderate" fall in the numbers of 18 to 20-year-olds across the UK, the authors say.
However, that will be reversed by 2027, they say, with a 2.1% projected increase in student numbers in the UK.  Demand for higher education is expected to increase as more teenagers from poorer backgrounds stay on at school and do better at GCSE level, the report says.

There will also be some compensating increases in part-time undergraduate numbers in all parts of the UK apart from Scotland, it says.  Professor Rick Trainor, president of Universities UK, said: "This is an invaluable piece of work which should help the UK higher education sector prepare for some of the expected demographic changes between now and 2019.  "The work will also form part of Universities UK's preparation for the review of variable fees in England, due next year. The review will need to take into account the wider issues facing higher education, some of which are reflected in this report."

Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr//2/hi/uk_news/education/7305646.stm