August 14, 1998 (Updated Sept. 15, 1998)

WHAT'S NEW AT WRIGHT STATE THIS FALL?

EDITORS: The following are brief summaries of what students will find when they return to Wright State University in September. These can be used as back-to-school news or feature story ideas. We invite you to use the tips as the basis for your own stories, or to print them as "briefs." For more information about a particular tip, contact the Wright State contact person listed or the Office of Communications and Marketing at (937) 775-3232.

Classes start Sept. 16. More than 16,200 (up from the 16,033 last year) students are expected to descend on the Wright State campus when classes start on Wednesday, Sept. 16. This year's class of about 2,221 freshmen compares with 2,024 in the freshman class that enrolled in September 1997. Tuition and fees for full-time resident undergraduates this year are $1,310 per quarter, up 6 percent from last year.

Special Note (updated Sept. 15): Starting Thursday, Sept. 17, the Ohio Department of Transportation will begin a nine-month project to add additional lanes at the intersection of North Fairfield Road and Col. Glenn Highway. Traffic will be maintained, however, there could be long delays. To avoid delays, motorists coming from the north on I-675 should either exit on Route 444 (Exit 24) and go through Fairborn past the WPAFB main gate to Rt. 844 and follow the signs to Wright State, or exit at Grange Hall Road (Exit 16), turn right on Grange Hall and right on Col. Glenn and take Col. Glenn east back to Wright State. Those coming from the south on I-675 should take the Wright State/North Fairfield Road exit, Rt. 844 (Exit 17), and follow the signs to Wright State University instead of North Fairfield. Those coming from the south on North Fairfield should take Kemp Road west (turn left) to Grange Hall Road, turn right on Grange Hall and right on Col. Glenn. Take Col. Glenn east to Wright State. Call (937) 775-4789 for the latest traffic information. Motorists with AirTouch cellular phones can dial #NUT for traffic updates on the intersection.

Master Plan Construction. Construction on the WSU Master Plan, a multi-phase project to make the campus more inviting and user friendly and to halt erosion through improved storm water detention, has been underway all summer. When students return in the fall, they'll find:

• a new pedestrian circle/green space between the Student Union, the Russ Engineering Center, the Medical Sciences Building and the Health Sciences Building
  
• a plaza at the north entrance to the Student Union and a new plaza in front of Hamilton Hall
  
• a remodeled connector between Hamilton Hall and the Student Union to allow a pedestrian corridor between the parking areas in front of the Student Union and the core of campus
  
• a storm water detention basin between Center Road and Raider Road to end erosion in the WSU woods
  
• an accessible pedestrian/bike trial along the edge of the woods between Center and Raider Roads to link the Nutter Center to the core campus
  
• a low, brick entry wall across Center Road
  
• a redesigned intersection at Center and Loop Roads and new parking lot for the Fred White Center

Other construction:

• a new soccer field near Lot 20
  
• the new Academic Building is nearing completion. The building, scheduled to open in January 1999, will house the College of Nursing and Health and administrative offices.
  
• a new Campus Services Building near the Mini University, housing the offices of public safety, printing services and the mail room
  
• renovated labs in the basement of Fawcett Hall. The renovation of Fawcett Hall is now complete.

Parking changes. As a commuter university, parking lots have sprung up all over campus as new buildings were constructed through the years. But with parking scattered all over campus and cars constantly coming and going, problems arose for pedestrian traffic -- particularly for students with disabilities. The Master Plan removes parking and vehicular traffic from the campus core and makes it a pedestrian-only area. As a result, most of the student parking has been relocated to Lot 4 across from the Student Union. (See WSU's online campus map.)

Student parking around the core campus is now located in the following lots:

• Lot 4 -- west side of campus across from Student Union
  
• Lot 7 -- next to Rike and Allyn Halls
  
• Lot 12 -- next to Creative Arts Center and Dunbar Library
  
• Lot 11 -- next to Millett Hall and Dunbar Library
  
• Lot 1 -- next to Student Union and Russ Center
  
• Lot 5 -- next to Hamilton Hall was removed and resident parking relocated to Lot 4

• Lot 20 (K Lot) -- next to Kauffman Ave.
  
• Lot NC7 and NC8 -- next to Ervin J. Nutter Center's McLin Gym

Students arriving after 9 a.m. should park in Lot 4. Typically, Lot 11 fills up by 8 a.m., Lot 12 by 8:30 a.m. and Lot 7 by 9 a.m. Lot 4 and the remote lots have space available any time.

New international business major. Students seeking careers in international business may select WSU's new international business major, offered for the first time this fall. The undergraduate program, the only one of its kind in the state, focuses on private sector organizations that import and export goods outside the United States. The unique curriculum requires applied foreign language and an internship in international trade management. It also combines courses in culture, applied language and international business. Within the College of Business and Administration (COBA), a combination of international courses is taken in each functional area of business, including marketing, accountancy, finance, management and economics. For more information, contact COBA at (937) 775-2437.

New certificate programs in Women's Studies. Wright State's Women's Studies program is offering a 20-credit certificate in Women's Studies this fall for both undergraduate and graduate students. The undergraduate certificate is an alternative to the current Women's Studies minor. The graduate certificate offers an additional graduate credential to students enrolled in any graduate or professional degree program at WSU. A background in Women's Studies is unique preparation for a variety of specialized occupations that relate to women's and diversity issues. For more information, contact Anne Sisson Runyan, Ph.D., director of the Women's Studies Program, at (937) 775-2123 or (937) 775-4818.

First-year engineering and computer science students to get early hands-on experience. About 60 Wright State first year students planning to enroll in the College of Engineering and Computer Science will take a special program known as the Engineering Educational Collaboratory or "Introduction to the Art of Engineering." The program, partially funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, is being created by Wright State, Drexel University, the University of Kentucky and Mercer University in Georgia. Students will conduct real, virtual and remote experiments; create and study computer simulations; develop skills in the use of generic software packages, and practice the art of engineering design, all in the first year. All new first-year students were eligible to apply for the program. For more information, contact the College of Engineering and Computer Science at (937) 775-5001.

Electronic access to student résumés. Prospective employers from around the world can review the résumés of hundreds of Wright State University alumni and student job-seekers and screen out all but the most qualified without ever having to advertise a position opening, internship or co-op job, thanks to a free web site developed by the WSU Office of Career Services. Through the home page of Wright State's Office of Career Services, employers can define an exact set of qualifications and select only the applicants who meet the requirements for a position. Résumé listings are updated constantly, and more than 500 WSU students signed up to participate in the program in its first two months. The service is free to employers, students and alumni. For more information, contact Brian Maxwell, associate director of the Office of Career Services at (937) 775-2105, or by e-mail at bmaxwell@wright.edu.

Increased educational opportunities for human services employees. With funding help from the Ohio Department of Human Services, Wright State has launched a new program to provide education to human services employees. Training Opportunities for Program Staff (TOPS), is a program to help human services employees continue or complete training and education related to their job while continuing to work. Employees will have the opportunity to earn associate's, bachelor's or master's degrees. For more information, contact Anita Curry-Jackson, chair and professor of social work, at (937) 775-2240, or James Steinberg, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology at Wright State's Lake Campus, at (419) 586-0342.

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