The state of the school forum was held on April 24th and consisted of an address by Dean Max Sherman; presentations by faculty, staff, and students on selected topics; and a question-and-answer period.
The health policy forum, on the future of Medicaid and Medicare in Texas, was a collaborative effort by the LBJ School and three other UT Austin departments--the College of Pharmacy, the School of Law, and the School of Nursing. Additional funding was also provided by the Cabinet of College Councils. This is the second year GPAC has cosponsored a forum exploring health issues.
Students Mark Berte and Abby Cramer have been developing a Web site that will allow GPAC committees to document their activities and share information with the rest of the LBJ School community.
According to GPAC President Andrea Fuller, faculty course evaluations will be made available on-line to students starting with the spring 1996 evaluations. "This is a joint effort between the GPAC Academic Policy Committee and the faculty," said Fuller. "It will allow both LBJ School students and off-campus students to make more informed course selections."
Other activities organized by various GPAC committees include the Brown Bag lecture series, the graduation convocation, the Texas Excellence Teaching Awards, student/faculty/alumni dinners, and the Follies.
CSO
The LBJ School's volunteer group, the Community Service Organization, sponsored its annual alternative spring break, a service day, and a blood drive this semester.
In February, the group sponsored its popular half-day community service day. Work teams were dispatched to a number of local organizations, including the Salvation Army, Austin Humane Society, Helping Our Brothers Out (HOBO), Tree People, Austin Interfaith Hospitality Network, Habitat for Humanity Restore, and the National Wildflower Research Center.
In March, students participating in the CSO alternative spring break traveled to Galveston, where they painted houses that belong to low-income individuals and completed a survey for Interfaith Caring Ministries, a support group for low-income elderly people.
Working with the Central Texas Regional Blood and Tissue Center, CSO also organized a blood drive at the School this semester.
Toastmasters
LBJ Toastmasters officers Beverly Holston and Christina Todd competed in the Toastmasters Area J-63 International Speech Evaluation held at the LBJ School on March 24.
Although neither of the two students advanced beyond the first level of competition, Holston said that she had achieved her goal, which was to amuse the crowd. Holston's humorous presentation was presented during the tall tales segment of the competition and was entitled "Reflections of a Rookie President." Todd, who competed in the international speech contest, presented a talk entitled "The Value of Books."
According to Holston, the group remains active during the summer and is recruiting members. She said that involvement in Toastmasters is "helpful and can be a true enhancement of (members') personal and professional lives."
The group's mission is to provide a learning environment where members can develop communication and leadership skills that will in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth.
WIN
"The Many Faces of Feminism," a panel discussion sponsored in March by the Women's Issues Network, featured seven guest speakers sharing their thoughts on the feminist movement, its impact on their lives, and future directions.
Panelists included women from a broad array of backgrounds, some who associate themselves with the feminist movement and others who do not but who nonetheless support equality between the sexes.
Approximately 50 people showed up for the event featuring Alberta Brooks, Austin American-Statesman reporter; Liz Carpenter, author and former press secretary to Lady Bird Johnson; Bobbi Kaye Jones, assistant pastor, First Methodist Church; Candace O'Keefe, executive director, the Foundation for Women's Resources; Randa Ryan, assistant director, UT Austin Women's Athletics; Faegheh Shirazi-Mahajan, assistant professor, UT Austin Center for Middle Eastern Studies; and Nelda Wells Spears, Travis County tax assessor-collector.
Comments to lbjwmast@uts.cc.utexas.edu