The University of Louisville Alumni Magazine: for alumni, faculty, staff, students and anyone that is a UofL Cardinal fan.
Issue link: https://louisville.epubxp.com/i/43017
COVER STOR Y passage safer and more accessible and strengthened the college's connection to the rest of campus. Converting the Kersey Engineering Library to the Duthie Center two years ago enabled Speed to consolidate offi ces and class- rooms, as well as study, career and cooperative learning centers. Not overlooked was a new food services area — the fi rst in the school's history. "Up to that point, at least in my memory, there was no place for engineering students to get something to eat on this side of Eastern Parkway," said Brenda Hart, 72M, director of student affairs and professor of engineering fundamentals. Hart, who has worked at UofL since 1973, started Speed's chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers and has been a guiding force in recruiting and retaining women in the traditionally male-dominated fi eld. New advising and academic programs, such as a bioengineering major, which has a 40-percent-female enrollment, have led to a tenfold increase in women attending Speed School during her tenure. "It's more unifi ed," Hart said, referring to both the school and the broader university. Social and emotional transformation Four years ago, UofL provided next to no student health ser- vices. Today sweeping changes in policies and programs have given students ready access to the latest medical equipment, electronic medical records, mental health counseling and evening yoga classes in the dorms. The shift started in 2006 when the university began assessing a student health fee, which provided a dedicated funding stream for programs. But the deeper spectrum of services came from the adoption of a critical-thinking initiative that is part of the university's 10-year plan for reaccreditation. Including the new Offi ce of Health Promotion in the campus-wide effort to strengthen students' reasoning skills resulted in recognition that college teaching must reach beyond the classroom. "There was an acknowledgement that students were making critical decisions all day long — where they eat, where they hang out, whether they will have sex," said Karen Newton, director of the Offi ce of Health Promotion, which is part of the Campus Health Center. "Instead of just telling students, 'don't drink, it will kill you,' we say, 'let's talk about the critical decisions about drinking and the consequences.' It's a very different expectation." Newton said public health models and research from the American College Health Association suggest a direct link between students' health status and academic success. The obvious but often-overlooked truth is that when students make healthy choices in diet and relationships and develop good sleep and study habits, they do better in school. "Our goal is to help students become stress-resilient, sleep-effi cient, relationship-savvy, well-nourished and physically vital," Newton said. Her offi ce regularly surveys students about their inter- ests and concerns and tries to provide appropriate services. Recent offerings include cooking workshops, grocery tours, massage, fi tness testing and coaching. The Campus Health Center also sponsors eight to 10 yoga, Pilates and Zumba classes each week for just $45 a semester. West Plaza now offers new seating areas and improved drainage — including environ- mentally friendly pavers that will direct rainwater back into the ground rather than toward storm drains. UofL's thriving Greek system will feature 30 sorority and fraternity chapters by January. Learning that lasts a lifetime The impact of all the recent changes on student life at UofL may not be known for years, and offi cials acknowledge that much work remains to improve facilities, academic programs and the campus culture. Still, evidence and observations suggest that UofL is on the right course. Just ask Ellie Nolan, the Honors Scholar and aspiring author who hopes to become an interfaith minister one day. She'd like to pass on some of the guidance and inspira- tion she received from teachers like Dr. Michael Williams, assistant professor in the humanities division of A&S.; Williams, also a fantasy realism author, taught Nolan in an honors seminar called "The Fantastic in Literature." She considers the course one of the best she has taken at UofL because Williams challenged students to learn from the past and make meaningful connections to their current lives. "He is a writer so he wanted all of our work to be coher- ent and compelling," she said. "He kept encouraging us; he told us we could be better. That's all I need — someone who pushes me and believes in me." Her message seems to resonate on UofL's campus. "College," Nolan mused, "is such a transformative time." Holly Holland is an award-winning journalist, author and editor who earned a bachelor's degree in history from UofL in 1980. FALL UOFL MAGAZINE|23