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University
Increases Focus on Student Retention
Retention is important at universities
nationwide, and Maharishi University of
Management is currently taking steps to focus on
student satisfaction, which along with factors
such as preparedness, motivation, and finances,
influences whether students continue through to
graduation.
According to Richard Neate, dean of men and
head of a committee focusing on student
satisfaction, the retention rate at the
University is normal for a school with our
current admissions policies. Yet officials are
making a concerted effort to retain every
student, an effort that includes increased
attention on academic advising and career
placement, and a student satisfaction survey
during block 3.
"Maharishi has said that progress is the
basis of happiness, so if we can help students
make progress toward their degree, they will
naturally can help students make progress toward
their degree, they will naturally feel
satisfied," Mr. Neate said. Steps are being
taken to help faculty advise students more
effectively. They have recently been provided
with a handbook, and a new computer system will
let them quickly access a student's entire
academic record.
At the direction of the Trustees, a major
focus is also being put on career placement,
since getting a good job after graduation is
also a key component of student satisfaction.
The University's Office of Career Planning and
Placement has been steadily building in the past
three years under Dr. Rachel Goodman. and now
the staffing and resources of the office are
being increased.
Another important step toward understanding
students' experiences will be the Student
Satisfaction Inventory, a standardized survey
administered at many universities nationwide.
All students will be completing this survey
during a brief session in class in block 3.
According to Mr. Neate, the survey, which has
been studied and endorsed by Student Government,
will help ensure that priorities for spending
come from the students. He said the questions on
the survey are intelligent and positively stated
and offer the students the chance to express
their degree of satisfaction.
More important, though, is that the survey
has students specify how important a particular
area is to them. He said, for example, that
there might be a statement regarding the
adequacy of parking space. The survey may show
that some students feel it isn't adequate. But
in addition to that, it determines how important
this issue is to all students.
It may be the case, for example, that
although parking is an area of concern, it's not
as important to students as some other area.
This would then save a university the huge
expense of building new parking lots when in
fact students would actually rather have
resources directed toward a different area.
Mr. Neate is confident that the survey will
be a large enough sample to provide an accurate
vision of student satisfaction and will play an
important role in University planning.
Headlines
Admissions Takes
Additional Steps to Increase Enrollment
The Office of Admissions is continuing to put
attention on increasing enrollment, this year
focusing on identifying prospective students
earlier.
This major change in recruiting U.S.
undergraduate students entails using a
telemarketing firm to phone every one of the
approximately 6,000 inquiries to determine their
level of interest. Each of these inquiries will
have received several mailings from the
University, as well as a video. The goal now
will be to determine which students still have
an interest after having had an opportunity to
learn about the University.
Brad Mylett, director of Admissions, explains
that since the Admissions officers don't have
time to personally contact each inquiry, using
an outside service to determine the best
prospects will let them focus all of their
attention on those most likely to come.
"The main goal of Admissions this year is to
qualify our leads earlier in the process," Mr.
Mylett said. Once that's done, then Admissions
officers emphasize personal contact, phoning
prospective students, inviting them to campus,
or even paying them a visit.
Another refinement for Admissions is a
sharper focus on specific areas of the country.
These are areas that have historically generated
more interest in the University or that are in
the region, since studies show that 95 percent
of new students attend colleges within 500 miles
of their home.
Mr. Mylett said they are focusing on southern
California, Minneapolis, Chicago, and states
adjacent to Iowa.
Headlines
Ballroom Showcase:
Waltz, Swing, Salsa, Tango, and More!
BY ALESIA LLOYD
Waltz, swing, tango, and a heated salsa
competition are just a few of the performing
delights sure to entertain on the evening of
Saturday, November 10, as the Student Union
Ballroom is host to the third annual Ballroom
Showcase.
"Ballroom has been growing in popularity in
recent years," said Janice Haynes, member of the
Fairfield Ballroom Association and one of the
performers in the show. "It is beautiful and
exciting to watch--from the beautiful waltz to
the sultry cha cha."
Last year's Ballroom Showcase most certainly
demonstrated this growing trend, with a
standing-room-only crowd enjoying the
entertainment.
The 25 ballroom dancers are led by Craig
Thurman, a ballroom dance teacher of 34 years
who regularly travels to Fairfield to teach
ballroom classes.
Also featured this year is Jeff and Andrea
Smith's Swingphoria Group, a popular local swing
dance group started by University students.
The dance will start at 7:30, with the
showcase beginning at 8:00 p.m. sharp. The salsa
competition is open to everyone, so be sure to
put on your dancing shoes.
Tickets are available at Somebody Cares and
at the door. Front row seating is available for
$10, with general admission $6. Cost to
University students is $4.
If you have any questions, please direct them
to Larraine White at 472-3540.
Headlines
Faculty Member
Michael Cain to Exhibit Sculpture
Sheet metal sculptures that synthesize
artistic traditions of India and the West are
the subject of an exhibit by faculty member
Michael Cain at Unity Gallery in November.
Titled "Naksi Bindus, Recent Sculptures:
Repoussé Collaborations from India," the
exhibit will be shown both in the United States
and India.
Mr. Cain is a contemporary Western sculptor
influenced by the symbolic power, sensuous
embellishment, and inner vitality of traditional
Indian and Nepalese sculpture. He shifted from
studying this art to creating it via an
apprenticeship during during his 1996-97
Fulbright to South Asia. Thereafter and during
five brief subsequent trips to India, he
collaborated with several traditional Indian
artists. During the last two years, he has
created about 20 substantial collaborative
hammered sheet metal sculptures in India and
Nepal.
"The artworks synthesize the sensuous
profusion of ancient temple embellishments with
the rigor of Western geometric abstraction," Mr.
Cain said. "The works support and promote
traditional Indian and Nepalese crafts and
enrich contemporary Western art with aspects of
the beauty and transforming power of South Asian
sacred images."
Mr. Cain's art work was supported in part
with a grant from the Iowa Arts Council, a
division of the Department of Cultural Affairs,
and through a School of the Arts Artist's
Residency at Maharishi University of
Management.
The opening reception for the exhibit will be
on Friday, November 2, 8:00-9:00 p.m. at Unity
Gallery in the Library. The exhibit will
continue at Unity Gallery through November 30.
Unity Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 9:45
a.m.-4 p.m. and 7:45-9:30 p.m., Saturday,
1:00-4:00 p.m.,, and Sunday, 1:00-4:00 p.m. and
7:45-9:30 p.m.
Mr. Cain will give a slide lecture about his
work Thursday, November 1, 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. in
the Student Union Theatre. The lecture, titled
"Embodying Consciousness, Exalting Matter,
En-livening Sculpture," is free and open to the
public.
Headlines
Chess Club to Host
Community-Wide Tournament
The Chess Club will host a community-wide
chess tournament in the Dreier Building, room
114, on Sunday, November 18, from 10 a.m. to
4:00 p.m.
The tournament is open to the entire
Fairfield community. Both casual beginners and
veteran players alike are welcome to
participate. Prizes will include Olympic-style
gold, silver, and bronze medals with red, white,
and blue neck-ribbons for first, second, and
third place. There will also be a special medal
for the best unrated player. Rounds will consist
of five one-hour games. Club sets will be
provided but bring your own if you have one.
"This will be a get-acquainted-with-our-club,
unrated, fun tournament for everyone who knows
the basic rules of the game," said John Salerno,
club director. Participation is free for
Maharishi University of Management students,
faculty, and staff. The entry fee for others is
$1.
The Chess Club meets every Sunday evening at
8:00 p.m. in the Student Union Cosmic
Café. "Everyone in the community
(beginners, intermediate, or advanced) is warmly
welcome to join us," Dr. Salerno said. As a U.S.
Chess Federation affiliate, the club offers a
wide variety of activities, including casual
play, speed chess, game analysis, and live
Internet play. Also available are chess
videotapes, magazines, books, and personal
one-on-one coaching to any motivated players who
would like to improve their game most
quickly.
For more information, contact Dr. Salerno, at
472-1718. Or e-mail: jsalerno@mum.edu
Headlines
Student Golf Team
Finishes Season
BY ALESIA LLOYD
The University golf team enjoyed yet another
season of successful golfing this year led by
number-one player and team captain Noah
Schechtman, a senior who had also played golf at
Maharishi School.
"Noah typically would finish within the top
15 out of 60 to 80 players," said team coach
Richard Neate.
According to Mr. Neate, the number two
player, freshman Brooke Hinchman, didn't finish
far behind Mr. Schechtman and looks forward to
improving over the next few years as do team
players Keertan Reddy, Sagar Patel, Scott
Demaree, and Bill Graff.
This year the University golf team played 25
different teams in three tournaments, competing
with golfers from three different states: Iowa,
Illinois, and Wisconsin.
"Competing in these tournaments gives the
University a lot of positive exposure." Mr.
Neate said. "It really seems like the other
players enjoyed the quality of the individuals
on our team."
Mr. Neate added, "I feel that golf is a royal
sport--it not only helps you focus on a target,
but gives you a broad comprehension of the
entire playing field. Also, the golf swing is so
natural that it physically enlivens and purifies
the body."
Headlines
Former Art Students
Enjoy Success
Former art student Surya Gied has recently
been accepted to the top art school in Germany,
competing with 500 others for admission.
According to art faculty Geoffrey Baker, her
success is remarkable in that she had never
studied painting before taking two courses from
him. "She is a very gifted painter," he
said.
In a recent letter to Mr. Baker, Ms. Gied
explains that only 50 out of the 500 applicants
were accepted and credits him with her success.
"I want to thank you so much for your teaching,
love, and attention. You gave me the basis for
my artistic life. . . . You're really a great,
great teacher, friend, and adviser. I can only
repeat how much I appreciate the time in the
painting class. You made me!"
Mr. Baker is reluctant to take credit for her
success, pointing out that Ms. Gied was an
excellent and diligent student. "She made
herself," he said.
Mr. Baker said that another former student,
Lara Fuchs, who was also very gifted, is
currently studying fashion design in Milan,
Italy--one of the world's foremost centers for
fashion.
Headlines
Continuing Ed.
Offers Course in Basic Neuroanatomy
There is still time to join a four-lesson
course in basic neuroanatomy that helps students
understand their brain physiology so they can
better appreciate the discovery that the human
physiology is an expression of Veda and Vedic
Literature.
The course meets Saturday afternoons from
1:15-2:30 p.m. Although the first of the four
lessons has already been offered, people are
welcome to join the course now and to catch up
by watching a video of the first lesson.
The course is being taught by Alarik
Arenander, director of the University's Brain
Research Institute. The basic, yet comprehensive
material presented by Dr. Arenander allows
students to become more knowledgeable about the
underlying mechanics of the human neuroanatomy.
Topics include the thalamus, basal ganglia, six
layers of the cerebral cortex, billions of glial
cells, and the entire neurophysiology. "By
putting your attention on the structure and
function of your brain physiology, you will help
wake up your latent potential," said Olivier
Ferré, director of Continuing
Education.
The upcoming sessions will be held on
November 3 and 17 and December 1. The course fee
is $60, $30 for Maharishi University of
Management students. The course location is the
lobby of Frat 151.
Headlines
Dome Project Seeks
More Funding
BY SRIPRIYAA CHANDRASEKHAR
Plans for reconstruction of the Men's Dome to
be more in accordance with principles of
Maharishi Sthåpatya Veda design are going
ahead, with further work contingent on raising
funds.
"Because the Domes are the most important
place for creating coherence in collective
consciousness through the Super Radiance
Program, it was felt the Men's Dome should be
quickly rectified to create a perfect
Våstu," said Sandra Rosania of the
Development Office.
The cost of the entire project is estimated
at about $400,000. Ms. Rosania said that as of
this writing $150,000 still needs to be raised.
The west section of the Dome still needs to be
completed, and the slope to the west
corrected.
As additional funds are raised, the exterior
siding will receive a coat of Kolostone Stucco
finish, which will enhance the appearance of the
Dome from the outside. Hot and cold drinking
fountains are also planned. New floor mats, shoe
and coat racks, and a glass display case for the
posters will be purchased. As funds become
available, plans also include improving the
ventilation and air maintenance systems.
The Dome reconstruction team has been working
to raise funds so that the Super Radiance
program in the Men's Dome will produce maximum
benefits for the world. "Through the incredible
generosity of a few people during the beginning
of the project and through many subsequent
donations, the first phase of the project is
nearly complete," Ms. Rosania said.
The second phase requires $150,000. The Dome
reconstruction team invites everyone to
contribute so the additional funds for the
successful completion of the project can be
raised.
"Every gift counts in this project, which
touches the lives of everyone in the community
and welcomes all our visitors," Ms. Rosania said
"We want to thank everyone who has already
contributed and are confident we can quickly
finish the Dome."
Headlines
Staff Member Wins
Poetry Contest
BY SRIPRIYAA CHANDRASEKHAR
University alum and staff member Marc
Bouttenot won first place--and $30--in the
sonnet category in this year's Lyrical Iowa
state poetry contest.
The poem is titled "Love's Photograph." Mr.
Bouttenot said he explored his spontaneous
poetic talent in October of 2000, when he wrote
20 sonnets. After persistent encouragement from
his friends and daughter, he submitted one of
his poems, winning the award.
Mr. Bouttenot said that the poem is dedicated
to his wife, and it was the first poem he had
written for her. "I was trying to invoke a
feeling of beauty, ease, naturalness, and pure
potentiality," Mr. Bouttenot said.
"Love's Photograph" was published this month
in Lyrical Iowa, an annual publication of the
Iowa Poetry Association.
Mr. Bouttenot received his B.A. in literature
and M.A. in professional writing at the
University. He works in the press room.
Headlines
Western Consortium
Encourages Super Radiance Attendance
BY BURTON MILWARD, JR.
A group of anonymous donors is now
encouraging coherence in the world by donating
money to the Pandit Project in India based on
the numbers of people from the western U.S.
participating in Super Radiance, adding one more
incentive to attend group program.
In August 2001, a consortium of
Transcendental Meditation Program Centers in the
western region of the United States inaugurated
the "Donate to India Pandits Project through
Group Super Radiance" project in Arizona,
California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New
Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, to create
coherence and a wave of financial support for
the groups of pandits in India. The project
involves donors who match donations to
attendance at group Super Radiance programs in
participating Centers, Maharishi Vedic Centers,
Maharishi Vedic Schools, and Maharishi Vedic
Universities.
Clover Calvet, regional coordinator for this
innovative project, said, "Our anonymous donors
send a substantial donation check each month
based on the number of people who participate
each day in the group Super Radiance program."
From mid-September, donors have expanded the
project to include donations based on western
region participation in the Creating Coherence
for America program in the Golden Domes in
Fairfield. "The project will continue for a
minimum of one year, and may extend longer,"
added Ms. Calvet, who has been creating
coherence in Fairfield since September 17.
Accurate record keeping of attendance is
crucial. This task is coordinated through
contact persons at local Centers who report
monthly to Ms. Calvet in the Southwestern
Regional Tour Office in San Marcos, California.
For information, call (800) 888-5797 or e-mail
regional-tour-office@RTSO10.com.
Headlines
Transcendental Meditation, Maharishi
Sthåpatya Veda, Consciousness-Based, Vedic
Science, Maharishi Vedic Center, Maharishi Vedic
School, Maharishi Vedic University, Maharishi
School of the Age of Enlightenment, and
Maharishi University of Management are
registered or common law trademarks licensed to
Maharishi Vedic Education Development
Corporation and used under sublicense.
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