V. Lane Rawlins

Dear Alum,

We exist to provide students with a high-quality education, and that means finding new and effective ways for them to learn and excel.

Through our blended classes and learning communities, we're helping put many of our freshmen, particularly those with undeclared majors, on the path to success and inspiring them to plan for their future.

With our blended classes in political science and psychology, for instance, we're helping students recognize the links between these two seemingly different academic disciplines. Rigorous coursework that covers both areas is preparing students for careers that require the power of persuasion, critical thinking, and effective oral and visual communication.

Since 2010, our learning communities have been a way for freshmen with undeclared majors to receive valuable help with setting their academic goals, including choosing a major. They have access to peer mentors and resources to ensure they're on the road to academic success. We've seen that learning communities can lead to better retention rates and GPAs.

We're also reaching out to busy working professionals. Our new Accelerated Online Program enables those who want to further their careers and education to earn master's degrees from the College of Information and College of Education fully online in short eight-week sessions without interrupting their work or home lives.

This fall, we proudly launched the first of these online programs for those wanting to earn a master's degree in learning technologies. In January, we're launching the second such program, a master's degree in educational leadership. And we'll be launching more in the future. I'm excited about this new effort because it shows the world why we're an online leader.

As the most comprehensive university in the North Texas region, we're always working to expand our programs and build on our reputation as a place where anyone can succeed and receive a high-quality education.

Sincerely,
V. Lane Rawlins
President

Features

Mean Green men's basketball

Meet you in the Super Pit for Mean Green basketball

Our men's and women's basketball season is here and I hope to see you in the Super Pit cheering on our talented student-athletes, such as sophomore forward Tony Mitchell, whom CBS Sports has named a Preseason All-American and the No. 7 ranked player in the country. Mitchell is expected to be a first-round NBA draft pick. I'm giving away two pairs of tickets to any men's basketball home game and two pairs of tickets to any women's basketball home game. Email me at president@unt.edu by 5 p.m. Nov. 30 with the words "Men's Basketball" or "Women's Basketball" in the subject line to be entered into the random drawing. To purchase tickets throughout the season, contact the Athletic Ticket Office at 800-868-2366 or ticketoffice@unt.edu.

Moving Forward: $1 million grant to fund UNT-Pakistan language initiatives

Part of UNT's strength comes from the partnerships we have with other universities around the globe to share our faculty expertise and resources, and now our reach is expanding in South Asia. During the next three years, a $1 million grant from the U.S. State Department's Public Diplomacy Programs for Afghanistan and Pakistan will fund initiatives between UNT faculty members in the English and linguistics and technical communication departments and their counterparts at Pakistan's National University of Modern Languages in Islamabad. The faculty will help strengthen NUML's graduate programs in English literature and linguistics.

President V. Lane Rawlins with Emerald Eagle Scholars

Emerald Eagle Scholars endowment gets funding boost

We're proud to help students achieve their dreams of attending college through our Emerald Eagle Scholars program, which helps academically talented students with high financial need earn a UNT degree. The program depends on donations from our alumni and friends, and that generosity has helped its endowment reach a milestone. In October, the endowment's funding exceeded $590,000 thanks to support from the U.S. Department of Education and generous donors. In April, to support our deserving scholars, we will launch our inaugural Emerald Eagle Honors event, a comprehensive celebration and fundraiser that will replace our annual Emerald Eagle Ball.

Jon Nelson

Faculty Focus: Jon Nelson

Jon Nelson, associate dean of operations for the College of Music and professor of composition studies, has received numerous honors for his musical prowess throughout his teaching career. The International Computer Music Association recently recognized Dr. Nelson for his composition Turbulent Blue, which earned the top award for the competition's Americas region. Dr. Nelson's electroacoustic music compositions have been performed widely throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. And he has earned fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Fulbright Commission.

A new electric vehicle charging station at UNT

Traditions: All things green

From creating state-of-the-art green facilities to investing in campus projects that promote sustainability, UNT is at the forefront of being a green campus. And we're seeing the fruits of our labor. UNT was named a higher education winner of the 2012 Green School Awards and is listed in The Princeton Review's Guide to 322 Green Colleges for the second consecutive year for our green facilities and practices. Our commitment doesn't end there. We're installing six electric vehicle charging stations to support the university's growing number of electric car users.

Richard J. Sinclair

Featured Link: TAMS creates innovators of the future

Richard J. Sinclair, dean of the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science at UNT, gave a compelling portrait of our TAMS program and how it excels in supporting the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields in his guest column in the Denton-Record Chronicle. As Dr. Sinclair noted, the STEM disciplines are the driving force behind the growth of our nation and region, yet the U.S. lags in producing graduates and professionals in these fields. TAMS helps fill the gap by giving talented young students the support and opportunity to excel and become leaders in these areas. I encourage you to read the column to learn how UNT is furthering STEM education and how our TAMS graduates are making a difference.

UNT Alumni Association

The UNT Alumni Association has the perfect way to make your holiday season merry. Finished in 24-karat gold, the association's 2012 holiday ornament features the "In High Places" Eagle statue in front of the Hurley Administration Building and McConnell Clock Tower. I'm giving away a 2012 ornament to seven people in a random drawing. I'm also giving away the 2011 Stadium Ornament as a keepsake to the first 15 people to enter to win. Email me at president@unt.edu with either "In High Places" or "Stadium" in the subject line by 5 p.m. Nov. 30. You also can buy the 2011 and 2012 ornaments. A portion of the proceeds benefits the association's scholarship fund. Learn more by visiting UNTalumni.com or contact the association at alumni@unt.edu, 940-565-2834 or 800-UNT-1153.