THE DAILY WARRIOR

Killeen, Texas — Due to the suspension of military tuition assistance programs, Texas A&M University-Central Texas will be hosting two free resource briefings for servicemembers seeking information about alternative resources available to fund their academic endeavors. These briefings will be held at Texas A&M University-Central Texas on the following dates:

Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Time: 12:00p.m. (Noon) – 1:00p.m.
Location: Founder’s Hall, Room 413

Thursday, March 21, 2013
Time: 5:00p.m. – 6:00p.m.
Location: Founder’s Hall, Room 208

General information will be provided on federal and state assistance programs, scholarships, and VA education benefits. The staff at Texas A&M University-Central Texas are ready to assist you in identifying and obtaining alternative resources to support your academic endeavors.

Register now at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/benefits_briefing_registration

Please contact the Veterans Affairs Center at Texas A&M University-Central Texas at 254-519-5423 if you have any questions. Thank you for your service!

ARMY TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM SUSPENDED
From GoArmyEd (www.goarmyed.com)

Washington, D.C. — The Secretary of the Army has approved the suspension of Tuition Assistance effective March 8, 2013. Soldiers will no longer be permitted to submit new requests for Tuition Assistance. However, Soldiers currently enrolled in courses approved for Tuition Assistance are not affected, and will be allowed to complete current course enrollment(s).

This change in the Army Tuition Assistance program applies to all Soldiers, including the Army National Guard and Army Reserves. The Army understands the impacts of this decision and will re-evaluate the decision if the budgetary situation improves.

In the interim, Soldiers can continue to access their GI Bill benefits, if applicable, either the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) or the Post 9/11 GI Bill, or use other funding sources (i.e. grants, scholarships, or Army National Guard Soldiers using state Tuition Assistance where available).

TAMUCT staff are prepared to discuss various options with students that are affected by these changes. For more information or further assistance, please contact one of the following below:

Soldiers at TAMUCT that HAVE already submitted applications for Tuition Assistance and are unsure if they have been processed may contact Mr. John Carroll at j.carroll@ct.tamus.edu or 254-532-9066.

Soldiers at TAMUCT that HAVE NOT submitted applications for Tuition Assistance may contact Student Financial Assistance at finaid@ct.tamus.edu or 254-501-5854.

Updated information will also be posted to www.goarmyed.com.

Killeen, Texas – Texas A&M University-Central Texas was named to the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. This designation is the highest honor a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement.

“A&M-Central Texas has a history of service-learning and believes strongly in preparing our graduates to be active leaders and participants in an ever changing world,” said Morgan Lewing, Assistant Director for Student Engagement. “We’re honored to receive this prestigious award – and owe much of it to the students themselves. They’re the energy driving our commitment and they’re the ones who make it all happen.”

“Congratulations to A&M-Central Texas, its faculty and students for its commitment to service, both in and out of the classroom,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of CNCS.  “Through its work, institutions of higher education are helping improve their local communities and create a new generation of leaders by challenging students to go beyond the traditional college experience and solve local challenges.”

Inspired by the thousands of college students who traveled across the country to support relief efforts along the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, CNCS has administered the award since 2006 and manages the program in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as the American Council on Education and Campus Compact.

More information about the Office of Student Engagement at A&M-Central Texas can be found at http://www.ct.tamus.edu/departments/studentactivities/index.php. More information on eligibility and the full list of Honor Roll awardees, can be found at nationalservice.gov.

Killeen, Texas — Accessibility to Texas A&M University-Central Texas has become even easier! The Central Texas HOP has added A&M-Central Texas to Route 7 and will include both in and outbound access to main campus located at 1001 Leadership Place, Killeen, Texas 76549. For more information, contact your local HOP Office or visit the Central Texas HOP website at www.takethehop.com.

MEDIA ADVISORY

Who: Texas A&M University-Central Texas

What: Fall Commencement Ceremonies

When: Saturday, December 15, 2012  — School of Business Administration Ceremony at 10:00am  -  School of Arts and Sciences + School of Education at 1:00pm

Where: Killeen Civic and Conference Center — 3601 South W.S. Young Drive, Killeen, TX 76542

The presiding officer giving the conferral of degrees will be Dr. Marc Nigliazzo, Inaugural President, TAMUCT; The master of ceremonies will be Dr. Peg Gray-Vickrey, Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, TAMUCT; Posting of colors will be performed by TAMUCT ROTC Cadets; ROTC Cadet Commissioning will be performed by Major General Anthony R. Ierardi, Commanding General 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood; System greetings will be given by Mr. Steven B. Moore, Vice Chancellor of Marketing and Communications, The Texas A&M University System; The student speaker will be Ms. Raynesa K. Jonas, TAMUCT Class of 2012; and the national anthem will be sung by Ms. Tonya Miller, TAMUCT Class of 2012.

The commencement exercises will honor both undergraduate and graduates in the School of Business Administration (10:00am) and the School of Arts and Sciences + School of Education (1:00pm). Approximately 270 students are expected to receive their diplomas — 70 graduate and 200 undergraduate. Both ceremonies will be broadcast live online at http://www.TAMUCT.org/LiveStream.

KILLEEN, TEXAS — Just six months after the grand opening for its inaugural building, Founder’s Hall, and groundbreaking for the anticipated second building on its 672 acre campus, Texas A&M University-Central Texas announced the development of The Texas A&M University-Central Texas Alumni Association.

“This University grew out of the support of the many communities in Bell County and Central Texas,” explained Dr. Marc Nigliazzo, A&M-Central Texas’ inaugural president. “And when we engage the community in conversations about our momentum, we quickly discover that we are surrounded not only by our own graduates, but by those who have graduated from American Technological University, the University of Central Texas, and Tarleton-Central Texas.”

Acknowledging the significant role played by the predecessor institutions, A&M-Central Texas isn’t just creating an alumni association for the 2000+ students it has graduated since 2009; it is extending an invitation to the alumni from ATU, UCT, and Tarleton-Central Texas in the hopes that they will know that they have a home at Texas A&M University-Central Texas.

Dr. Karén Bleeker, acting director of advancement, noted that she couldn’t imagine doing it any differently, adding that the graduates of ATU, UCT, or Tarleton-Central Texas are ‘legacy alumni’ because they attended the universities that preceded A&M-Central Texas and made us what we are today – even before anyone knew who we would eventually become.

“A prominent part of the University seal is a shield with four, five-pointed stars, lining the top. Each of these stars represents the institutions that we evolved from: American Technological University in 1973, the University of Central Texas in 1990, Tarleton State University-Central Texas in 1999, and finally, Texas A&M University-Central Texas in 2009. We intentionally included them in our history and our seal, and we intentionally invite the alumni from those institutions to know that they have a home here.”

Intentions aside, little did the university know that when the time was right to initiate an alumni association, they would find two of ATU’s ‘legacy alumni’ and prominent Killeen residents who would step forward to get things moving: Sam Murphey, who graduated in 1980 with a graduate degree in management sciences and Nancy Hennigan Bryan, who graduated in 1986 with an undergraduate degree in business administration. When asked by the University to help build an alumni association, both expressed immediate support, even upon learning how much work lay ahead of them.

“We want to strengthen the role of the alumni in the on-going growth and development of the University, support it as it grows, engage our alumni throughout the Central Texas Region, the state, and beyond, and demonstrate the sense of pride and loyalty we have for Texas A&M University-Central Texas,” they observed. Next steps include forming the alumni association corporation, qualifying for 501c3 status, selecting and orienting alumni association board members, establishing an alumni association website, membership drive and annual campaign.

Written by Jenna Weynand, Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce

KILLEEN, Texas – The Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood MSA has debuted on the American Institute of Economic Research’s list of the 75 Best Cities For College Students. Killeen was ranked 19^th in the category of Small Cities on the College Destinations Index.

The AIER’s 2012 College Destinations Index measures the informal learning environment objectively by looking at statistics covering 12 key criteria. These criteria fall into one of three larger categories that powerfully impact the student experience: Academic Environment, Quality of Life and Professional Opportunity.

Data for all 527 Metropolitan/Micropolitan Statistical Areas in the U.S. was collected, excluding localities with fewer than 15,000 students and any location missing data for more than two key criteria. The resulting Index is further broken down into four classes based on area size: Major Metropolitans with populations greater than 2.5 million, Mid-size Metros with one to 2.5 million residents, Small Cities with 250,000 to 1 million residents and College Towns with under 250,000 residents.

In its first year to be included on the list, the Killeen area ranked 19^th in the nation among cities with 250,000 to 1 million residents. This groups Killeen with just a handful of other elite Texas college cities. The four major Texas metropolitans, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin, all ranked in their perspective categories along with Lubbock, ranked 11^th in the Small Cities category, and College Station, ranked 11^th in the College Town category.

“With an outstanding community college and a new regional university representing a major university system, Killeen is poised to become an exceptional destination for the college bound student seeking both quality and affordability,” said Dr. Marc Nigliazzo, President of Texas A&M University – Central Texas. “TAMUCT looks forward to working in partnership with Central Texas College and its other regional community college partners to make this significant new ranking of Killeen a meaningful and permanent one.”

The data collected to create this index included information from the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, National Science Foundation, and Small Business Administration, to provide a snapshot of each community’s overall academic and cultural environment. Data covered a range of topics including student concentration, degree attainment, cost of living, creative class, earning potential, entrepreneurial activity and unemployment rate among others.

“Killeen is a diverse, dynamic community and the Central Texas College student body reflects that,” said Dr. Thomas Klincar, Chancellor of Central Texas College. “This ranking validates what we have known for quite some time – affordable higher education and a low cost of living, along with Fort Hood’s cultural impact, makes for an unbeatable combination for our students. We look forward to playing a key role in continued growth.”

For more information or to view the full report, please visit www.aier.org/cdi.

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About the American Institute for Economic Research

AIER provides Americans with unbiased research and critical analysis based on the principles of positive economics. They educate individuals about how to protect their interests and they help policymakers make informed decisions for a better America. Founded in 1933, AIER is a donor-based, non-profit economic research organization. They represent no fund, concentration of wealth, or other special interests, and no advertising is accepted in their publications.

About the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce

The Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce provides vision, leadership and support to businesses and community leaders to create economic prosperity. Through the priorities set by its board of directors the GKCC works to support its members, collaborate with and support public education and Fort Hood, improve the image of the community, and bring significant economic development to the region. Currently the GKCC has more than 1,000 active members.

About Texas A&M University – Central Texas

Texas A&M University–Central Texas was born in the spirit of community cooperation on September 1, 1999 as Tarleton-Central Texas and became a stand-alone university on May 27, 2009 as a member of The Texas A&M University System. A&M-Central Texas is a military friendly, upper-level institution offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

The student population at A&M-Central Texas is diverse and growing, currently serving over 2,500 students. Classes are offered at several convenient sites, including area community colleges and Fort Hood in order to accommodate both full-time and part-time students and to serve the entire Central Texas area. The university provides a wide range of flexible course schedules, including online, night, and weekend classes. For more information, visit http://www.ct.tamus.edu.

About The Texas A&M University System

The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a statewide network of 11 universities, seven state agencies and a comprehensive health science center.

A&M System members educate more than 120,000 students and reach another 22 million people through service each year. With more than 28,000 faculty and staff, the A&M System has a physical presence in 250 of the state’s 254 counties and a programmatic presence in every one. In 2011, externally funded research expenditures exceeded $780 million to help drive the state’s economy.

Killeen, TEXAS— Phi Alpha, Pi Rho Chapter, from Texas A&M University-Central Texas has received its fourth National Service Award for their dedication and commitment to strengthening the bond between its chapter members, the surrounding community and the university.

“This is the fourth time our Phi Alpha chapter has won the award, which is an amazing accomplishment,” said Faculty Advisor, Dr. Claudia Rappaport. “I think it is a testimonial to the students’ commitment to community service. Our chapter is always deeply committed to helping the university, the students, and community agencies, in spite of their very busy schedules as students, many of them as social work interns, and as family members.  I am deeply honored to be the faculty liaison for such a dedicated group of students.”

Activities this year included hosting a holiday part for the senior citizens who reside at the Sunshine House in Copperas Cove; a School Supply drive which resulted in over $1,000 worth of supplies for East Ward Elementary School in Killeen; through fundraising efforts, the chapter donated a laptop to the Scott and White Children’s Hospital Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which allowed deployed soldiers to Skype with their children in NICU and receive medial updates; and they volunteered to assist with Killeen’s annual homeless count, which gave the students hands-on, real-world experience with local agencies who serve the homeless population.

Phi Alpha is an organization comprised of a faculty advisor, honorary faculty, community members, bachelor of social work students as well as alumni that come together to serve the needs of the university and community. The goal of Phi Alpha is to foster an environment of academic achievement and improve and further the goals of social work in the community, state, nation, and world. Specifically, Phi Alpha Students at A&M-Central Texas learn how to recognize needs and raise awareness, support, and funds for those needs. Members gain continuing education opportunities and valuable experiences that help them excel in the social work profession.

Each year, Phi Alpha raises the bar with their extraordinary dedication and commitment to community service and campus involvement. Congratulations to the Phi Alpha Honor Society on winning yet another National Service Award to add to your growing collection!

Killeen, TEXAS—On August 4, 2012 the Texas A&M University—Central Texas Department of History and Political Science will join with the University of North Texas Military History Center to present the second annual Central Texas Military History Symposium.

The symposium will focus on the past perspective and future relevance of military history. Students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to attend. The cost to participate is $25 and registration will be open until Monday, July 30, 2012.

The program is as follows:

0900
Check-in and Registration

1000 – 1130
Morning Session
Lt. Gen Paul E. (“Butch”) Funk EdD, US Army (Retired) President & CEO National Mounted Warfare Foundation
Colonel Lawrence P. (“Larry”) Phelps, United States Army (Retired), Vice President for Business Development
Mr. Steven C. Draper, Director – 1st Cavalry Division Museum
Mr. Richard Powell, III Corps Historian
Dr. Lisa Bunkowski, Assistant Professor of History TAMUCT and Lt. Col Allen Lowe US Army (Retired), TAMUCT

1145 – 1315
Keynote Address and Luncheon
Lt. General Dave R. Palmer US Army (Retired)
Former Superintendent of US Military Academy at West Point
Author of George Washington And Benedict Arnold: A Tale of Two Patriots

1330 – 1500
Afternoon Session; Presentation of Papers

The event begins at 9:00am in the Bernie Beck Lecture Hall at Founder’s Hall (1001 Leadership Place, Killeen, Texas 76549). For more information and to register please visit: http://www.ct.tamus.edu/departments/socsci/symposium.php

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Austin, TEXAS — The Texas A&M University-Central Texas chapter of Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) was awarded the University Unit of the Year Award at the state Conference in Austin on Saturday.

To be considered for the award, the students had to show effective local unit management, innovative methods for encouraging membership growth, and community service initiatives. After submitting the application for consideration, and being named a finalist, unit President Ron Sursa, was then interviewed by a panel of judges. The award included a cash prize of $500 to put toward community projects.

Some of the TAMUCT ATPE service projects at West Ward Elementary over past year included providing several backpacks of supplies to their adopted school, giving out over 200 new books at Halloween, providing meals for seven families at Thanksgiving and filling their pantries, and bringing children’s author Jerry Palotta to speak to the students. They also collected donations to send to the firefighters in Bastrop, gathered cans as part of the Warrior Week canned food drive, and had two teams participate at the Relay for Life.

“I have never been as proud to work with a group as I am to work with this one,” said faculty advisor, Dr. Deborah Crowder. “It has been and honor to work with people who have the drive and determination and work ethic that this group of ATPE students have. As a team, these folks are unstoppable!”

The officers of TAMUCT ATPE consists of President Ron Sursa, Vice President Tonya Miller, Suzanne Frazier secretary,  Melissa Stokes treasurer and Member Chair Lloret McNeill.

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ATPE is the preeminent public educator association in Texas and makes a difference in the lives of educators and schoolchildren. In partnership with all stakeholders, we are committed to providing every child an equal opportunity to receive an exemplary public education. For more information, visit http://www.ATPE.org.