Orientation and Convocation at UC Denver

UC Denver campus, Auraria Library on left 

This has been a week of meeting people, setting directions and generally settling in. I attended several new UC Denver Faculty orientation sessions, which helped me gain a clearer picture of the university’s vision and structure.

The Lunch and Learn Workshop, held on Weds in the Auraria Library, was the first in a series on International Students: Teaching and Learning Opportunities and Challenges. This week’s workshop set the scene by introducing challenges that international students often experience at UC Denver. The highlight was a panel of international students who presented powerful messages about what it’s really like to be an international student. They spoke clearly and insightfully about characteristics of good and poor professors they had encountered in Denver. They also offered hints to professors for supporting international students in their classes. Notably, one panel member commented that she found international students tend to be categorised as either brilliant or stupid, but in fact they are all just ‘normal’ students and would like to be treated as such. Later, two senior Faculty members presented alternative perspectives by describing their previous Fulbright teaching abroad programs.

On Friday I attended the new student Convocation in the King Center of the Auraria campus.

R to L: Dr Rod Nairn, Dr Jerry Wartgow, Dr Brenda Allen, Mr Keven Shaw (at Convocation) 

The new student Convocation was an uplifting event without direct parallel at QUT. The audience comprised new students and Faculty members, who were addressed by UCD’s senior administrators. The convocation commenced with the National Anthem, sung stirringly by Linda Theus-Lee, who is a past UCD student and current Faculty member of the UCD Business School. This was followed by several welcoming talks to the students that were informal and amusing whilst encouraging students to set personal and academic goals, to engage in their educational and wider community, and to draw on available support to achieve their goals. They resonated so well with our ideas about informed learning that they are worth summarising, as follows …

The chair person, Dr Brenda Allen congratulated the students on entering college and urged them to recognise this achievement by cheering ‘I’ve made it!’

Dr Jerry Wartgow, UCD Chancellor, extended a warm, personable welcome to the students, nicely showing the institution to be a learning community with a human face, rather than merely an educational system.

Dr Rod Nairn, UCD Provost, called on the students to keep a close focus on the ‘why’ of their studies, whilst attending to, but not becoming preoccupied with day-to-day issues relating to the ‘what’ and the ‘how’. He equated ‘why’ with purpose, longer term goals, personal fulfilment, etc. ‘What’ includes what unit/major to take, what assessment items need doing; and ‘how’ includes ‘how will I find resources? how will I pay for this course? How will I travel to college?’

Dr Frank Sanchez, UCD Associate Vice Chancellor Student Affairs offered the students 5 tips for academic success, which were very helpful in their simplicity for students tackling the complexities of university life and study for the first time:
• Develop time management strategies
• Build pathways through your studies, by identifying their strengths and talents
• Engage fully with your college experience, participate in campus activities, internships, voluntary community work
• Challenge your frame of reference, extend your world view, by connecting with languages, liberating your mind with new ideas, consider who you are and where you’re going (I was almost cheering him at this point!!)
• Study hard and get to know your professors; get to know at least one professor really well each year

Mr Keven Shaw, President of the Student Association, encouraged students to frequently remind themselves that ‘College is tough, but I will graduate’ – and to enable themselves to do so by seeking out support from their academic advisers and their peers. He also taught and had us practice the college chant: “When I say UC – you say Denver!”

Dr Brenda Allen’s ABC for students concluded the Convocation on a learning high:
• A: Always be learning (formally, informally, about yourself, about the world); she quoted Mahatma Gandhi: ‘Live as if you will die tomorrow but learn as if you will live forever.”
• B: Be resourceful. The university offers a cornucopia of resources, for your intellect, your body and your spirit, to help you survive and thrive. Use people as resources, draw upon their help to learn, including your professors, academic advisers, tutors, family, friends, previous teachers, Auraria Library. Don’t wait until you are in trouble to seek assistance.
• C: Connect with others. Aim for a rich diversity of friends
Her final comment: “Yes, you’ve made it – now it’s up to you what you do with it”.

... yay!!! to all of the above (from all speakers)

The Convocation was followed by a BBQ on campus, in a lovely grassy area between historic buildings (former homes). Faculty and advisers mingled and chatted informally with the new students, living up to the messages of speakers at the Convocation.

New student BBQ

Now coming to the end of an enjoyable, relaxing week-end …
Saturday, explored the Downtown area of Denver on foot, followed by lunch at a neighbourhood Mexican restaurant Las Delicias (lived up to its name, muy delicioso!) Then retail therapy at an upmarket retail outlet, Castle Rocks - incredible value clothing and shoes and stunning views of sunset over the Rockies on the way home. Sunday, more retail therapy at Cherry Creek (a more refined Indooroopilly) and then sensuous culinary selection at Whole Foods (much more fulfilling than plain old grocery shopping at the local supermarket).

16th Street Mall, Denver - love the busker on painted piano and free tram!

Australian election at a distance

Australian election day Saturday 21 August - 7.30 am Sat morning here - 11.30 pm Brisbane ...
Just checked the ABC election site http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2010/ - what extraordinary election results! Currently 72 Liberal/National coalition, 70 Aus Labor Party. And what political disarray the results signal for Australia with a hung parliament.
The Greens seem to be the real winners - good on them! What a huge mistake ALP made in dumping K Rudd, despite his personal failings. What a shame Julia G was in such a hurry to becom PM. I'm so disappointed that Maxine McKew has lost her seat - to a tennis player??

It's interesting that following news of the Australian election from this distance has diminished its personal relevance - I'm viewing it more through a social impact frame. Submitting my postal vote on Thursday lacked the sense of occasion of attending the local school to vote along with other members of the community. I missed running the gauntlet of the party pamplet wavers and bumping into people we haven't seen for ages. And checking the results via laptop loses the immedicay of watching the results unfold with Antony Green on the ABC, whilst sharing the tradional family election night chips and drinks. 

It will be fascinating to compare this Aus election experience with that of the US elections for State Governors and Senators in November. Already I've noted a much longer lead time here than in Aus - the candidates' posters are already out in many people's gardens and some people have already cast their vote. For US voters the decision would seem a good deal easier to make with only 2 real choices (Dem or Rep) - unlike the 80 possible candidates listed on the Queensland Senate ballot paper. 

First week in Denver

My first week here passed in a flurry of meeting people, settling in to home, becoming familiar with working environment and sorting out the technology. All made so much easier by friendly, interested welcome from everyone I’ve met at the Auraria Library and around the campus. Mary has made me feel very comfortable and I have plenty of space to work and relax. I also have an office at the Auraria Library.

Denver is a gracious city, bigger than I expected. I’m staying in East Denver, which has tree-lined streets, mostly attractive homes with dense lawns gardens and summer flowers. There's even a Jersey Street. It's hot and sunny, midsummer with nice long evenings – I enjoy walking around the neighbourhood in the evenings. Lots of locals are also out at this time, walking, running, pushing prams – generally friendly, saying hello as they pass.

My first week at work in Denver was busy with meeting key stakeholders at the 3 institutions who have co-sponsored my residency (University of Colorado Denver, Metropolitan College Denver and Community College Denver). On Wednesday there was a yummy Coffee and Chocolate reception for Christine and I at the Auraria Library (again, perfectly suited my tastes!) On Thursday Christine and I presented a full day workshop on Informed Learning for an invited group of teaching faculty and librarians from the 3 institutions. We were thrilled by the way participants enthusiastically engaged with informed learning concepts, innovatively applying them to the design of ‘a coffee curriculum’ and then considering them in the contexts of their own teaching.

On Friday Christine and I worked at home, both together and separately. In the evening we enjoyed a walk around the neighbourhood and cooked an Indian dinner.

On Saturday we ventured into the mountains, visiting Red Rocks (amphitheatre), Nederland and a couple of other small towns; splendid lunch at a Nepalese restaurant on the way. The mountain scenery was stunning, especially the geological formations at Red Rocks and canyon on the way down to Boulder. There were patches of snow on the distant mountains, but the weather was warm and sunny. We drove to just over 8000 feet. My ears were popping occasionally and I felt my breathing was lighter when we were walking. People were riding bikes up and down the mountain roads and also hang gliding.

On Sunday morning we had relaxing massages, followed by an excursion to Cherry Creek shopping district. Here we were entranced by (but resisted) Nordstrom couture and furry toys (but less resistant to a chipmunk and a hedgehog!) Then Christine left for home on Sunday afternoon. Great for her family, but we'll miss her here!

Arriving in Denver

Mountains and canyons, between LA & Denver

Arrived in Denver on Saturday 7 August. I'm glad to be here despite a rather fraught journey from LA ...

For starters, I was unprepared for the mele of check-in at LAX - seemingly endless queues of anxious, impatient people at the airline desks and at the security points on the gallery above. For the first time since leaving Aus I felt lost, unfamiliar with local procedures, unclear who to ask for assistance. The automatic check-in machines were similar to those I’d used at Aus airports, but they didn’t recognise my passport or e-ticket number. This caused me some panic that I wouldn’t get through in time to catch the Denver flight. When I asked a passing airport staff member how to use the machine he simply commented “If you don’t do it yourself you won’t learn” and moved on, leaving me further distressed.

Deciding to take the innocent Aussie abroad approach, I sought out QANTAS at the far end of the terminal building. Here I found almost no queue and a smiling staff member, with a soothing American voice: ‘Don’t worry, we’ll get you to your flight, just give us your passport’. In less than five minutes my bags were checked in and I had a boarding pass. I still had to negotiate the security checks, but the supportive response from the QANTAS person had restored my confidence to manage the system.

(Just goes to show that inducing independent learning isn’t always the most effective form of support! And that in certain learning contexts, relying on the help of others is a valid problem solving strategy).

I reached the departure gate with 30 mins to spare and phoned Mary to say I’d be arriving on time. But soon after, there was an announcement that the 12.40 Denver flight had been cancelled and all passengers should proceed to the Customer Service Desk. It involved more queuing and uncertainty, but this time I just calmly followed the flow and eventually gained a seat on the 5.50 flight. I then hibernated for the rest of the afternoon in the Admiral’s Lounge.

The flight to Denver was spectacular. The plane passed over mountains and canyons. The layered reds and ochres of the mountains, illuminated by late evening light, contrasted with the intense black of the intersecting valleys. On the descent into Denver, distant thunderstorms gave some indication of the expanse of the high plateau. The illuminated roof of Denver airport suggested mountains or wigwams.

It was so lovely to meet Mary at last! She drove me to her home and offered a welcoming late supper and Spanish wine (she had guessed my taste well!) Next day, Sunday, we collected Christine from her hotel and made a leisurely orientation tour of Denver in Mary’s car, the highlight of which was a visit to the wonderfully stocked and accommodated Tattered Covers bookshop. The irregularly placed wooden shelves encourage browsing and unexpected discoveries. A young man on a wooden bench was reading and laughing, almost oblivious to the other browsers; title = “101 reasons not to go to grad school”.

We then selected dinner ingredients at Whole Foods, the most appealing and generous vegie shop I’ve ever been to, with a huge range of super fresh, multi-coloured produce. It had to be ratatouille and wholegrain bread for dinner!

Getty Center, Venice, Santa Monica

Garden as sculture, Getty Center, LA

Thursday, Friday - Two days to atttune to time zone and accents, and to explore LA. It's a huge, buzzing city, not exactly attractive but fun; people mostly very friendly; nice that there are many more trees than I expected, and mountains on the horizon. It's been quite foggy most of the time - tour guides insist it's 'marine layer' rather than pollution.

Thursday I took a 'combo' tour of the city - four hours at the Getty Center then a drive aroud the city sights. Getty was quite amazing, the architecture and gardens as captivating as the artwok inside. Perfectly proportioned modern/classical buildings of musical travertine limetone laden with fossils; the garden described by its creator as sculpture in the form of a garden to activate all the senses. Hollywood, Beverley Hills pretty much as expected; the Walk of Fame a bit of a let down, a rather grubby pavement and lots of 'stars' names on the pavers that I didn't recognise.  Venice was quirky - great mural of Jim Morrison.

Friday I went to Santa Monica on the Big Blue Bus. About 45 mins ride for 0.75 cents. SM had a suprisingly old fashioned seaside air, with shimps and funfair on the pier. It was a great sailing day, so lots of boats in the bay. I enjoyed a walk along the seafront Pallisade Park and rides on the roller coaster and ferris wheel.

The last few days in LA have been a great prelude to the main adventure. Today, in a couple of hours I head off to Denver, with trepidation and aspiration.

Away to LA

Wattle weather, midwinter in Brisbane

Well, I’m actually here in Los Angeles! Coming off the plane, the ‘Welcome to the United States of America’ sign gave me a jolt of reality. Over the last few weeks I’ve been so busy preparing for my departure, attending to work and personal matters, that I’ve had little chance to think seriously about the reasons and implications of all the busy-ness.

But importantly, amidst all the flurry, David and I had a delightfully peaceful pause over the week-end at Oceanview Estates, a winery with great restaurant and 2 neat cabins http://oceanviewestates.com.au/. The previous week-end we had a lovely family dinner with Peter, Mark and Vanessa, before M and V headed off to NZ for a ski-ing holiday.

Although I’d been making piles of stuff for the US for a couple of weeks on Mark’s bed, I didn’t get round to packing until Tuesday afternoon (day before departure). The plane took off Weds 11 am in perfect Brisbane wattle season weather – sunny, crisp, blue sky. The pilot commented that Moreton Bay looked so beautiful it was almost a shame to leave Queensland and caused me a moment of wistfulness. We landed in LA at 7.30 am, still Weds! Here it was warmer, but quite foggy, so unfortunately there was no view of the landscape. Bizarrely, coming down to land it looked like a snowfields, with mountain tops emerging out of the clouds below the plane.

Traps for unwary scholars! I had some hassles with excess baggage at Brisbane airport and ended up at the last minute jettisoning a pile of academic papers and a novel. (Note: ‘Informed learning’ and ‘Working together’ survived the cull!) Then at LA airport my collection of gifts, including a heap of QUT freebees (pen, rubber wristbands etc) caused some consternation with customs, who thankfully decided I wouldn’t need to pay duty since these things were for educational purposes.

I’m presently staying at a hotel near LAX airport, which is handy with free shuttle to/from airport - a helpful suggestion from Erica :) Clean room, pleasant staff. After sorting myself out, I caught the ocean trolley (an antique bus) to Manhattan Beach – walked along the pier and seafront, enjoying fresh air and exercise after the plane journey; but nearly run over by several skateboarders, until I realised I was on the skaters’ rather than the walkers’ path. For lunch I ate about half of the biggest sandwich I’ve ever encountered – delicious, multilayered, seemed to be about half a loaf of bread. Friendly waiter taught me that ‘jack’ is a kind of cheese and ‘squaw’ a sweetish wholemeal bread.

On my way back from M Beach, the bus dropped me off at a discount store to buy a mobile phone – oops, cell phone. Samsung with camera & charger, free connection to cell network and $10.00 credit all for &19.99. Amazing compared with Aus prices!

By 6.30pm I was really ready for bed – and slept until 7.00 am Thursday morning when the alarm went off. Woke once during the night when the aircon came on with a huge whoosh.