The University of Evansville has held a groundbreaking for an $8.5 million on-campus housing project. The townhouse apartments will provide space for approximately 150 students. The effort is part of the school's facilities master plan.

The University of Evansville today held a groundbreaking ceremony for new townhouse apartments, which will provide attractive on-campus housing options for approximately 150 upperclassmen.

The kickoff for the $8.5 million project took place at a 10:30 a.m. news conference in the Class of 1959 Gallery and Lounge in the Ridgway University Center.

“We’re thrilled to break ground on this project, which represents the next phase of the University of Evansville’s facilities master plan,” said UE President Thomas A. Kazee. “We look forward to offering our students a sophisticated, convenient living experience while enhancing the neighborhood around our campus.”

Two townhouse buildings will comprise the “Frederick Commons” (between Frederick Street and Weinbach Avenue) and four buildings will make up the “Walnut Commons” (on the north side of Walnut Avenue and Rotherwood Avenue). Half of the townhouses will be complete and available for move-in in August 2013, with others following in October 2013 and January 2014.

The new townhouses are part of UE’s facilities master plan, announced in March 2012, which will guide the University’s building projects and renovations over the next decade. After an assessment of needs, which included interview and focus group sessions with UE students, faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni, student housing emerged as one of four priority areas.

Each two-story townhouse apartment will house four students and includes the following amenities:

• Four private bedrooms and two bathrooms
• New furniture and appliances (including washer and dryer, dishwasher, full-
size refrigerator, and sink disposal)
• Granite countertops
• 37” digital flat screen TV in living room
• Ethernet in living room
• Free WiFi and digital cable
• All utilities included
Students signed up to live in townhouses during the housing application process in February and March. All townhouses have been filled for the 2013-14 academic year.
UE has contracted with Buckingham Companies, an Indianapolis-based developer, to coordinate the construction and design phases of the project.
“We are thrilled to be a part of the University of Evansville’s team in its efforts to provide an enhanced environment for learning, living, and community,” said Brad Chambers, president and CEO of Buckingham Companies. “Our focus for this project is to assist the University of Evansville in fulfillment of its current and long-term vision for campus growth and innovation and to make the University of Evansville a first-choice educational option."
Participants in today’s groundbreaking ceremony included UE’s Larry Kremer, chairman of the Board of Trustees; Thomas A. Kazee, president; Jeff Wolf, vice president for fiscal affairs and administration; Dana Clayton, vice president for student affairs and dean of students; Tyler Best, president of the Resident Students Association and a religion and political science major from Elizabeth, Indiana; Melanie Bacaling, member of the Student Housing Committee and a music performance and psychology major from Gurnee, Illinois; Brad Chambers, president and CEO of Buckingham Companies; and Jeff Beidl, development manager with Buckingham Companies.

Read more here: http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=58473

One of the most recognizable names in the clothing industry is scheduled to speak at the University of Evansville in October. Calvin Klein is slated to kick off The Institute for Global Enterprise in Indiana's year-long speaker series that also includes a former Harley-Davidson Inc. (NYSE: HOG) executive and a Tony Award winning producer.

The Institute for Global Enterprise in Indiana, part of the Schroeder Family School of Business Administration at the University of Evansville, is proud to announce the 2012-13 Institute Speaker Series, sponsored by Old National Bank.

"Our primary objective at the Institute for Global Enterprise in Indiana is to assist regional businesses in improving their global capabilities," said Dan Miller, the Institute's executive director. "The three speakers we are announcing today are recognized figures who will help us learn about global branding, transformation of businesses, and innovation, based on their first-hand experience and success in these areas."

The series begins Wednesday, October 24 with an appearance by Calvin Klein, an award-winning fashion icon recognized globally as a master of minimalism. His name ranks among the best-known brands in the world, with Calvin Klein Inc. reaching over $6 billion in global retail sales. Klein will speak in Indianapolis at noon and at Evansville's Victory Theatre at 7:00 p.m. (local times). His appearance is presented in partnership with the Rotary Club of Indianapolis.

The series' next event on Thursday, March 14, 2013 will feature Ken Schmidt. As the former director of communications for Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Schmidt played an active role in one of the most celebrated turnarounds in corporate history — and got paid to ride motorcycles. He will speak in Indianapolis at noon and at Evansville's Aiken Theatre in The Centre at 6:00 p.m. (local times).

The 2012-13 Institute Speaker Series will conclude Tuesday, September 17, 2013 with an appearance from John Kao, an innovation activist who has been dubbed "Mr. Creativity" by The Economist. Kao, the chair of the Institute for Large Scale Innovation, holds an MD from Yale Medical School and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He is also a Tony Award-nominated producer of Broadway plays and a jazz pianist. He will speak in Indianapolis at noon and at Evansville's Victory Theatre at 7:00 p.m. (local times).

Admission to all Evansville events is free and open to the public. Ticket information for Indianapolis events is forthcoming. For more information, please contact the Institute for Global Enterprise in Indiana at 812-488-2455 or globalindiana@evansville.edu.

The core purpose of the University of Evansville is to provide students with life-transforming educational experiences that prepare them to engage the world as informed, ethical, and productive citizens.

Source: University of Evansvillle http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=54930

The University of Evansville says current enrollment of nearly 2,700 students is the highest level in a decade. The school says enrollment is also up at Harlaxton College, its overseas campus near Grantham, England.

With the Spring Semester 2012 underway, the University of Evansville is proud to announce record-setting enrollment figures, including strong freshman retention on UE’s main campus and historic enrollment overseas at Harlaxton College.

Total enrollment currently stands at 2,696, the highest in a decade. Traditional undergraduate enrollment is at its highest since 2007.
These figures are bolstered by high retention rates, with 95.3 percent of fall freshmen returning this spring.

“We’re thrilled to see growth on campus, as well as a successful freshman class that has largely returned for the spring semester,” said Tom Bear, UE vice president for enrollment services. “These kinds of numbers, particularly in an economic climate that remains challenging, demonstrate the quality and value of a UE education.”

The historic enrollment trends continue across the ocean at Harlaxton College, UE’s British campus near Grantham, England. UE student enrollment at Harlaxton has increased 11 percent from last spring, with 122 UE students currently studying at Harlaxton. The total number of students at Harlaxton, including those from partner institutions, is 185 — the highest since 1989.

Source: University of Evansville http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=51797

The University of Evansville began fall classes this morning with an increase in overall student enrollment, including the largest freshman class in more than a decade.

UE's freshman class of 701 is the largest in 13 years, and the full-time student body is up 6.0 percent over last year. The new class also ranks among the strongest in the last decade, with higher SAT scores and a larger percentage of students who ranked in the top 10 of their high school graduating classes.

"We are extremely pleased to see such strong growth of full-time students on campus," said Thomas Bear, UE vice president for enrollment services. "Seeing this kind of increase, especially in these difficult economic times, is an endorsement to the quality of education UE provides. Our recent rankings in U.S. News & World Report as a top 10 Masters-granting institution in the Midwest, #6 strong commitment to teaching, and #2 Best Value in the region has prompted more students locally to consider UE."

The University experienced increased enrollment from students in Vanderburgh and surrounding counties. Additionally, UE saw its number of transfer and adult students grow this fall.

"There continues to be a strong desire for many local students and residents to obtain a University of Evansville education. Several local veterans who served in either Iraq or Afghanistan have embraced UE’s participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program. This financial award provides these servicemen and women a full-tuition scholarship," stated Bear. "To support the enrollment of these students, the University opened an Office of Veterans' Affairs on campus."

As in past years, diversity is a hallmark of the UE student body for the 2009-10 academic year, with students representing 44 states and 48 countries. Ten percent of the entering class are domestic minority students, meeting another University strategic goal.

Source: University of Evansville & Inside INdiana Business http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=37379

The University of Evansville will provide an open discussion next week about health care issues. The forum, which will be held September 10 at UE's Schroeder Family School of Business Administration, will address America's health care system, some of the plans for change and possible ramifications of various ideas. UE says it wanted to create a non-political event to discuss the system and various options for changes.

With Congress preparing to return to work, and health care the topic on every American’s tongue, faculty from the University of Evansville are looking to provide an open discussion about the issues.

The forum, which will be held Thursday, September 10 at 7:00 p.m. in Harkness Hall (room 162) of UE’s Schroeder Family School of Business Administration, will be a discussion of America’s health care system, some of the plans for change, and possible ramifications of various ideas.

The event is free, and open to the public.

“Obviously, health care is always an important issue for quality of life. Currently, there is considerable controversy surrounding the best way to provide quality and access while managing cost,” said Lynn Penland, dean of UE’s College of Education & Health Sciences. “With all of the attention being paid to the issue, we wanted to create a non-political event where we can discuss our system and various options for changes.”

The forum will begin with brief comments from Penland, who will serve as the moderator, and the three panelists. They then will open the floor for questions and comments.

The panel will include:

· Dr. Amy Hall, chair of the UE Department of Nursing
· Dr. William Stroube, UE Professor and Director of Health Services Administration
· Mary Kessler, chair of the UE Department of Physical Therapy
· Dr. Robert Clark, dean of the UE Schroeder Family School of Business Administration

The Core Purpose of the University of Evansville is to provide life transforming educational experiences that prepare students to engage the world as informed, ethical and productive citizens.

Source: University of Evansville & Inside INdiana Business

http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=37458

The University of Evansville's Ridgway University Center is the second Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified building in Vanderburgh County — and the second on the UE campus.

The building, located on Walnut Street across from the Carson Center, opened in November 2008. It was designed by Hafer Associates and Mackey Mitchell Associates and built by Industrial Contractors as an environmentally friendly building, and was registered with LEED before construction began in mid-2007.

"At the University of Evansville, we are proud of our commitment to sustainable, 'green' living," said UE President Stephen Jennings. "As a university, we have made it one of our goals to reduce our carbon footprint in any way we can, and by building the county's first two LEED-certified structures, we are backing up that commitment with action. These campus facilities have been constructed so they require less energy, use less water, and adhere to all of the standards laid out by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design."

The Alcoa Foundation also provided generous financial support to the LEED components of the Ridgway University Center.

Buildings must earn points in six categories set forth by the U.S. Green Building Council in order to achieve LEED certification. Those six categories are: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design.

Construction was completed on Ridgway University Center in late summer 2008. The center opened in November 2008. After opening, all LEED-registered buildings must go through several months of use and testing before being officially LEED-certified.

— Mark Wilson

Source: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/aug/30/evansville-ue-widens-its-lead-in-green/

UE comes in second on a list of best values in the Midwest, trailing only Creighton University, and sixth in a "strong commitment to teaching" list for the region.

"Ranking where we did in each category, among 142 eligible institutions, is just one of the many indicators confirming our success in maintaining the highest academic quality at the University of Evansville," UE President Stephen Jennings said.

The magazine measures academic quality by using the assessments of administrators at peer institutions, student graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.

In a nationwide list of best universities, the top 10 consist of Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford, California Institute of Technology, the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, Duke and the University of Chicago.

Notre Dame comes in 29th on that list, while Illinois is 40th, Purdue is 66th, Indiana is 71st and Kentucky is 116th.

Purdue is 22nd and IU 29th on a nationwide list of public universities, and IU's Kelley School of Business is rated the 12th-best business program.

Like Jennings, leaders at IU and Purdue were quick to tout their positions in the magazine's report.

IU Provost and Executive Vice President Karen Hanson said that magazine rankings "tell only a small part of the story, and their importance is often overemphasized.

But U.S. News performs a service by highlighting programs that are linked to student success, such as our student learning communities, study-abroad opportunities and the emphasis on writing."

Purdue University President France A. Cordova said the rankings "reflect our continued commitment to the student experience."

On a regional list of top master's-granting universities in the South, Murray State University is 18th, while Western Kentucky University is 29th.

The "Best Colleges" rankings are available today at http://www.usnews.com/colleges and will be published in the September issue of U.S. News & World Report, available Monday.

Source: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/aug/19/ue-ranks-in-top-10-midwest-colleges-magazine-it/