Photo by Julie Mauldin/ Staff photographer
Emma Owen
Blazer News Editor
[email protected]
USGA recently held a forum that featured department heads from across the university, in order to bring awareness to upcoming changes and programs at UAB. Below are highlights from the meeting.
- Opening regardsfor the UASGA Student Forum camefrom President Ray Watts, where he talked about UAB’s community engagement steadily increasing and announced the State of the University Address that will take place on October 29.
- Bradley Barnes, Ph.D and Vice Provost of Enrollment Management at UAB, said since 2015, enrollment as increased by 20.44%. Barnes also announced that the academic quality of new students has increased with a 3.78 average high school GPA of the freshman class and a 2.56 mean GPA.
- Paulette Dilworth, Ph.D and Vice President of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion announced an ongoing session that discusses social issues within the university with dates and times found on uab.edu.
- Andre Davis, director of UAB Transportation, discussed that the transportation department is transforming interaction and services between the department and UAB students. Davis said the department is implementing change to encourage students to bike, walk or carpool to class to decrease the need of parking on campus, known as the TDM program.
- Angela Stowe Ph.d, Director of Student Counselling Services and Wellness Promotion at UAB, spoke about the counselling services offered on campus. Stowe said the university has seen an increase in students making counselling appointments and has recently started walk in appointments for first time students to increase access to care.
- Brian Bowser, Resident District Manager of UAB Campus Dining said there are changes coming to UAB dining. These include a “redesigned Commons on the Green” where students can grab homecooked style meals on the gothat is launching this week, Bowser also announced that UAB Dining is working to become the first Fair Trade Certified institution of higher education in Alabama and new restaurants will soon be coming to UAB. These restaurants include Moe’s, a new convenience store called “The Grid” offering local and organic items and a Slice of Life pizza restaurant that will deliver to resident halls.
