This is a known issue with Blackboard, and is due to a non-standard character in the Blackboard course title. Testing has revealed that the parentheses ( ) and forward slash / characters are not problematic, but the inclusion of a colon : in the course title will cause this error to occur. DoIT is working with Blackboard to obtain a patch to fix this issue. In the meantime, if faculty experience this issue, the workaround is to edit the course title to remove the non-standard characters.

This is a known issue with Blackboard, and is due to a non-standard character in the Blackboard course title. Testing has revealed that the parentheses ( ) and forward slash / characters are not problematic, but the inclusion of a colon : in the course title will cause this error to occur. DoIT is working with Blackboard to obtain a patch to fix this issue. In the meantime, if faculty experience this issue, the workaround is to edit the course title to remove the non-standard characters.

March Madness is here! The DH students have their “insanity” countdowns, and the team is rallying for the big finish! There are defenses coming up within the next few weeks so we’re cheering everyone on!

There are no traditional “March Madness basketball tournament” brackets here. We’re not eliminating anyone, and we’re not counting anyone out.  Unlike the basketball tournaments, we’re not pitting teams against each other, and we don’t expect defeats.  Instead, we’re preparing each of you for victory! You’ve been practicing, working hard, training, and positioning yourselves to win.  Here are some thoughts to keep in mind as you prepare for your respective championships:

1. You can do this! You’ve come too far to turn back now.
2. You’re brilliant. Have you been reading what you’ve written? Aren’t you impressed? Of course you have more to write, and more corrections are on the way. It isn’t perfect, but you’ll work to be sure that it’s accurate.  There is always room for improvement, even after the dissertation is bound and filed (even after you’ve published it in a journal), but take a couple of minutes to appreciate and celebrate what you’ve already achieved.
3. The lessons from this journey are becoming a scholar and writing a dissertation. You’ve learned about perseverance, persistence, and determination. To those characteristics, when you work with others along the way, you can also add connection, laughter, sharing, bonding, and friendship.  The DH blog has clear evidence of that connection: http://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/blog-online-challenge/winter-challenge-2012/

Here are your rooms/training facilities at UMBC (for DH participants from UMBC, UM College Park, UMB, or those who have had consultations with Dissertation Coach Dr. Carter-Veale.)

• Friday,  March  9, 2012  from 8:30 to 11:45 AM and again from 1:15 to 5:30 PM Commons Room 318 (This room has a meeting being held between 12 noon and 1 PM, which means that everyone will have to leave for that allotted time.)
• Saturday, March  10, 2012 from 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM Commons 327
• Sunday, March  11, 2012 from 12 noon to 8:00 PM Commons 327

——————

• Friday, March 16, 2012 from  8:30 to 11:45 and again from 1:15 to 5:30 PM Commons Room 331(This room has a meeting being held between 12 noon and 1 PM, which means that everyone will have to leave for that allotted time.)
• Saturday, March 17, 2012 from 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM Math/Psy Room 102
• Sunday, March 18, 2012 from 12 noon to 8:00 PM  Math/Psy Room 103

——————

Thanks to the PROMISE team at UMBC and the UMBC Event staff for making arrangements for continuous operation of the Dissertation House. 

March Madness is here! The DH students have their “insanity” countdowns, and the team is rallying for the big finish! There are defenses coming up within the next few weeks so we’re cheering everyone on!

There are no traditional “March Madness basketball tournament” brackets here. We’re not eliminating anyone, and we’re not counting anyone out.  Unlike the basketball tournaments, we’re not pitting teams against each other, and we don’t expect defeats.  Instead, we’re preparing each of you for victory! You’ve been practicing, working hard, training, and positioning yourselves to win.  Here are some thoughts to keep in mind as you prepare for your respective championships:

1. You can do this! You’ve come too far to turn back now.
2. You’re brilliant. Have you been reading what you’ve written? Aren’t you impressed? Of course you have more to write, and more corrections are on the way. It isn’t perfect, but you’ll work to be sure that it’s accurate.  There is always room for improvement, even after the dissertation is bound and filed (even after you’ve published it in a journal), but take a couple of minutes to appreciate and celebrate what you’ve already achieved.
3. The lessons from this journey are becoming a scholar and writing a dissertation. You’ve learned about perseverance, persistence, and determination. To those characteristics, when you work with others along the way, you can also add connection, laughter, sharing, bonding, and friendship.  The DH blog has clear evidence of that connection: http://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/blog-online-challenge/winter-challenge-2012/

Here are your rooms/training facilities at UMBC (for DH participants from UMBC, UM College Park, UMB, or those who have had consultations with Dissertation Coach Dr. Carter-Veale.)

• Friday,  March  9, 2012  from 8:30 to 11:45 AM and again from 1:15 to 5:30 PM Commons Room 318 (This room has a meeting being held between 12 noon and 1 PM, which means that everyone will have to leave for that allotted time.)
• Saturday, March  10, 2012 from 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM Commons 327
• Sunday, March  11, 2012 from 12 noon to 8:00 PM Commons 327

——————

• Friday, March 16, 2012 from  8:30 to 11:45 and again from 1:15 to 5:30 PM Commons Room 331(This room has a meeting being held between 12 noon and 1 PM, which means that everyone will have to leave for that allotted time.)
• Saturday, March 17, 2012 from 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM Math/Psy Room 102
• Sunday, March 18, 2012 from 12 noon to 8:00 PM  Math/Psy Room 103

——————

Thanks to the PROMISE team at UMBC and the UMBC Event staff for making arrangements for continuous operation of the Dissertation House. 

CIC conference for URM postdocs in STEM
May 31-June 2, 2012
Hyatt Place Columbus/OSU
795 Yard Street, Columbus, OH 43212

CIC member campuses are committed to recruiting and retaining diverse
faculty. The goal of this conference is to provide Postdoctoral
Scholars from groups historically underrepresented in Engineering and
Natural Sciences the opportunity to network and access information and
materials necessary for a successful transition to a faculty position
at CIC universities or similar research intensive institutions.

The conference is also designed to provide recruitment opportunities
for CIC departments and programs anticipating faculty hires in STEM
disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The
intent is to match potential faculty recruits with open searches at
CIC universities. For more information, see
http://www.cic.net/Home/Projects/Leadership/PostDocConference/Home.aspx

——————————————

This message has been sent to all AGEPs nationwide.  We hope that postdoctoral scholars from our PROMISE AGEP campuses and beyond will take advantage of this opportunity. Registration is free of charge.  Interested PROMISE postdocs should check with representatives from their respective campus’ office or unit of postdoctoral affairs  (representatives listed below) to see if there are funds available for travel and lodging.

• UMBC: Dr. Renetta Tull (rtull@umbc.edu)
• UMB: Dr. Erin Golembewski (egole001@umaryland.edu)
• UMCP: Dr. Arthur Popper (apopper@umd.edu)

CIC conference for URM postdocs in STEM
May 31-June 2, 2012
Hyatt Place Columbus/OSU
795 Yard Street, Columbus, OH 43212

CIC member campuses are committed to recruiting and retaining diverse
faculty. The goal of this conference is to provide Postdoctoral
Scholars from groups historically underrepresented in Engineering and
Natural Sciences the opportunity to network and access information and
materials necessary for a successful transition to a faculty position
at CIC universities or similar research intensive institutions.

The conference is also designed to provide recruitment opportunities
for CIC departments and programs anticipating faculty hires in STEM
disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The
intent is to match potential faculty recruits with open searches at
CIC universities. For more information, see
http://www.cic.net/Home/Projects/Leadership/PostDocConference/Home.aspx

——————————————

This message has been sent to all AGEPs nationwide.  We hope that postdoctoral scholars from our PROMISE AGEP campuses and beyond will take advantage of this opportunity. Registration is free of charge.  Interested PROMISE postdocs should check with representatives from their respective campus’ office or unit of postdoctoral affairs  (representatives listed below) to see if there are funds available for travel and lodging.

• UMBC: Dr. Renetta Tull (rtull@umbc.edu)
• UMB: Dr. Erin Golembewski (egole001@umaryland.edu)
• UMCP: Dr. Arthur Popper (apopper@umd.edu)

Listen up, true believers!  We’ve talked about superheroes and we’ve talked about Nick Fury.  But comics aren’t all fun and games!  Since the first modern comic book was published around the turn of the 20^th century, they have been attacked by the powers-that-be for their content, their quality, and their artistic value.  In 1954, faced with the possibility of government censorship after heated Senate hearings on the impact of comics on juvenile delinquency, publishers adopted the Comics Code, a self-censorship mechanism modeled after the film industry’s restrictive Hays Code.  The comics industry was forever changed.

The exhibit “All Lurid, Unsavory, Gruesome Illustrations Shall Be Eliminated: The Comics Code as seen through the UMBC Comics Collection,” currently on display in the Special Collections Department of the Albin O. Kuhn Library isn’t just about looking at some cool rare comics.  It’s a chance to see the ways in which the industry has changed over the past 70 years, from pushing the envelope of taste in order to sell comics, to wilting under restrictions on its creativity, and back to pushing the envelope.  We see how rare pre-Code, Silver Age and underground titles led to non-Code magazines and today’s graphic novels.

This exhibit is also an opportunity to see some fantastic original comic art from the 1970s, from legendary artists such as Jack Kirby, John Romita Sr. and Joe Sinnott.  Straight out of the Special Collections vault, these pieces have almost never been seen in public! Paired with the finished published books, they are great examples of the process of the comic book artists of the time.

So come on down, superfans!  This exhibit will be on display until May 16^th, so you’ve got plenty of time.  Special Collections, located inside the library’s first floor gallery, is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 1-4 pm, and Thursdays from 1-8 pm.  Other hours are available by appointment. Please provide advance notice if you will be arriving via invisible jet.

To browse all of the comics available at Special Collections, enter “comic books” in the “Collection” field in the following search; or put in more specific search terms to find the exact comic you’re looking for: http://umbc.pastperfect-online.com/37467cgi/mweb.exe?request=advform

by Steve Ammidown, Special Collections Student Assistant

Image from Planet Comics #30, May 1944