Osher Lifelong Learning Institute receives $1 million grant
Tuscaloosa News – Dec. 16
The University of Alabama has received a $1 million grant from the Bernard Osher Foundation for its continuing education program for adults 50 and older. The grant will support the university’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, one of 119 college-affiliated programs nationwide that receives funding from the Osher Foundation. The foundation has given UA more than $3.5 million since 2010. “We salute the university’s leadership and staff as well as the Institute’s remarkable cadre of volunteers for developing an outstanding program of great variety,” said Osher Foundation President Mary Bitterman in a statement released by UA. “The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Alabama consistently provides seasoned adults with a broad range of meaningful and engaging educational opportunities. We are delighted to provide this additional support.”
University of Alabama raises nearly $398,000 for United Way
Tuscaloosa News – Dec. 16
The University of Alabama pledged nearly $398,000 for the United Way’s 2015 fundraising campaign, according to a news release from the university. The total amount raised, $397,803.04, exceeded UA’s goal of $345,000, according to the news release. UA’s School of Social Work organized the fundraising campaign with faculty members Javonda Williams, Gordon MacNeil and Angela Lockhart serving as campaign chairs. The United Way of West Alabama has 26 partner agencies and provides services in Bibb, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Marengo, Pickens, Sumter and Tuscaloosa counties. On Tuesday, the United Way announced that the 2015 campaign raised a total of $3.65 million.
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Dec. 16
Commission approves funds for deferral program for first-time offenders
Tuscaloosa News – Dec. 16
A new countywide diversion program will give first-time offenders a second chance at life without a criminal record. The Tuscaloosa County Deferral Program will be an expansion of the Community & Law Enforcement Alternative Network, a pretrial diversion program. The new program is designed to provide an additional tool for the criminal justice system in an effort to reduce recidivism and the number of people who go through the court system, and ultimately to jail, for minor offenses by offering an alternative program … The University of Alabama has promised $250,000 a year for three years, and university resources and services related to the program will be available to the community, Head said.
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Dec. 16
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Dec. 16
Resident donates teddy bears to fire, police departments
Shelby County Reporter – Dec. 16
When tragedy strikes a family, sometimes the smallest token can be comforting for a child. Because of this, Ron and Elizabeth Howard donated about 50 teddy bears to the Pelham fire and police departments. “What we wanted to do is when the fire or police are handling a situation that involves some kind of trauma to a youngster, like their house burns, that they can reach in and have one of these,” Ron Howard said. The teddy bears are brand new and each is sealed in a Ziploc bag to protect it from getting dirty. Howard said he wanted it to be easy for the first responders to unzip the bears to gift to a child. Although he said this donation was on behalf of the University of Alabama’s presence in Shelby County, including Alabama Ice Hockey and the Shelby County University of Alabama Alumni Chapter, giving back to the community is what the Howards do.
Dominy named to National Panhellenic Conference panel
The Leaf Chronicle (Clarksville, Tenn.) – Dec. 16
Austin Peay State University’s Stephen Dominy was recently appointed to the National Panhellenic Council’s Fraternity and Sorority Advisory Committee, according to a release from the NPC on Wednesday. NPC is an advocacy and support organization for the advancement of the sorority experience, according to the group’s website. The organization was founded in 1902 and is one of the oldest and largest women’s membership groups, with more than 4 million represented at 655 college/university campuses. Dominy, the coordinator of fraternity and sorority affairs for APSU, is one of seven members on the committee that is includes University of Alabama’s Kat Gillan, Andrew Hohn from Illinois, Carli Mercer from Arizona State, Betsy Sarneso of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Baldwin Wallaces’ Marc West and Krista Bennitt of the University of Washington.