The University of Tennessee at Martin Faculty and Staff Newsletter | October 31, 2016

addendaUT Martin veterinary health students achieve 100

percent pass rate for summer licensing examStudents from UT Martin’s

Veterinary Health Technology Program achieved a 100 percent pass rate during the 2016 summer session of the Veterinary Technician National Examination. This is the first time a cohort from the program has reached this goal.

Students who received their UT Martin degrees in the spring and summer 2016 semesters were eligible to sit for the national examination, which is required to receive a professional license to practice in the state of Tennessee.

All students who took the exam during the summer testing session passed as first-time test takers. Three testing sessions are offered each year.

“I feel like the vet tech program does a good job of emphasizing the importance of licensure, and they devote a lot of time and effort to reviewing VTNE-related topics. (Our professors) provided us with the resources we needed to help us pass the exam,” said Matthew Chesnut, a spring 2016 program graduate.

Chesnut began working as a veterinary health technologist at Hooks Pet Clinic in Martin shortly after completing his degree requirements.

“This was a great group of students to work with,” said Dr. Jason Roberts, professor of animal science and program

GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT – Matthew Chesnut, a spring 2016 graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin Veterinary Health Technology Program, is pictured working with Dr. Hailey Collins, DVM, at Hooks Pet Clinic in Martin.

director. “They were dedicated in and out of the classroom. They made the commitment to study and prepare for this important exam, which led to great results. Passing the exam allows these graduates to become licensed veterinary technologists and begin their careers in the veterinary field.”

According to Roberts, the national pass rate for the VTNE is around 70 percent, with the UT Martin pass rate averaging

around 90 percent. UT Martin’s Veterinary Health Technology Program has continued to grow since its official accreditation in spring 2014.

“The time and dedication it takes (to study) while working a full-time job is daunting, but they did it,” said Amanda Waldon, a licensed veterinary medical technologist and UT Martin instructor. “These students participate in hands-on labs, classroom activities

and community service through the program, and they have an opportunity to pursue careers in one of the fastest-growing and most sought-after fields in the U.S.”

UT Martin continues to offer one of the only four-year preparation programs in this field in Tennessee.

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YoUTMs faculty, staff and student excellence

Send your Addenda news to Erin Chesnut at echesnut@utm.edu by noon on Thursdays.

Dr. Laura Brown, professor, and Dr. Todd Sherman, associate professor and interim chair, Department of Health and Human Performance, spoke to the Kiwanis Club of Martin, Oct. 19, regarding a new campus initiative called “Healthy Hawks.” Brown, Sherman and other campus representatives are working to promote healthy habits among the UT Martin and local communities. Ideas discussed include expanded availability of fruits and vegetables, expanded walkways, hands-free water stations and a fitness app, among others. Brown and Sherman reminded listeners to remember MWF – Mindful Mondays for overall health, Water Wednesdays for increased water consumption and Fit Fridays for weekly exercise.

Dr. Nell Gullett, professor of finance, recently presented a paper titled “Earnings Quality: A Revised Model for Determination of the Quality of Earnings” at the Academy of Financial Services’ annual meeting in Las Vegas, N.V. The paper is co-authored by Dr. Ron Kilgore, professor of accounting.

Dr. Ty Perry, assistant professor of finance, attended the Academy of Financial Services’ annual meeting in Las Vegas, N.V. He presented a paper titled “An Empirical Examination of Intraday Patterns of Informed Trading and Price Discovery in the Eurodollar Futures Market,” co-authored with Chan-Wung Kim and Sangphill Kim, both from the University of Massachusetts – Lowell.

Dr. Sean Walker, associate professor of management, presented three papers at the recent Academy of Business Research Conference in Biloxi, Miss. His presentations were titled “The Impact of Misinformation and Misunderstanding on the Prevalence of Workplace Bullying,” “Psychological Distancing Effect: The Donald Trump Effect on Managers and Employees and the Decisions They Make” and “The Impact of ‘Israelites’ on the Perpetuation of Workplace Bullying of Moses: A Case Study Analysis of Workplace Bullying in America.” The last two received Best Paper Awards.

Beth Walker, consultant with the Hortense-Parrish Writing Center, attended the Faulkner and Hemingway Conference held Oct. 21-23 at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Mo. She presented a paper titled “The Underside of the Iceberg: What Hemingway’s Manuscripts and Editions Reveal about the Craft (and Ethics) of Revision.”

Several Paul Meek Library staff members attended the 2016 Tennessee Innovative Users Conference, Oct. 11, at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. Attendees were able to tour the James E. Walker Library’s new makerspace, learn about new developments to the innovative interfaces integrated library system and attend training presentations on related products. UT Martin staff members in attendance were Ann Funkhouser, manager

of support services; Georgia Baskett, lead cataloger; Heidi Busch, electronic resources librarian; Lisa Hoskins, acquisitions and periodicals; Kent Page, stack maintenance; Sara Rachels, cataloging; and Pat Sanders, media center manager.

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The annual Miss University of Tennessee at Martin / Miss Tennessee Soybean Festival Scholarship Pageant will be held at 7 p.m., Nov. 5, in the Harriet Fulton Theatre, located inside the UT Martin Fine Arts Building.

The Miss UT Martin Scholarship Pageant is celebrating its 54th year, and this is the 18th year for the Miss Tennessee Soybean Festival title.

Both titles will be chosen in the same night. Students enrolled full-time at UT Martin through the spring 2017 semester are eligible for either crown.

Women participating as a resident or full-time student in West Tennessee are eligible for the Miss Tennessee Soybean Festival title.

The pageant is divided into five phases of competition, including private interview, swimsuit, talent, evening wear and on-stage questions.

Each contestant is scored individually from one to 10 in each category. Interviews will take place on the morning of the pageant, and mandatory practice will occur in the afternoon.

THE CROWNING OF QUEENS – Sarah Yarbrough (left), of Jackson, and Natalie King, of Paducah, claimed the 2015 Miss Tennessee Soybean Festival and Miss University of Tennessee at Martin titles respectively.

Combined Miss UT Martin/Miss Tennessee Soybean Festival Scholarship Pageant to be held Nov. 5

The contestant crowned Miss UT Martin will receive $1,500 in scholarship money, and Miss Tennessee Soybean Festival will receive $1,500 if she is a UT Martin student or $500 if not.

The first runner-up for Miss UT Martin will receive $500 and the second runner-up will receive $200. There is no runner-up for the Miss Tennessee Soybean Festival title.

Both titleholders will compete in the statewide Miss Tennessee Scholarship Pageant in Jackson next summer, and the winner of that crown will then compete for the title of Miss America in Atlantic City, N.J.

Tickets will be available at the Boling University Center Welcome Desk outside Watkins Auditorium beginning Oct. 31. A limited number of tickets can also be purchased at the door before the competition. Advance ticket purchase is recommended.

The admission charge is $15 for the general public and $10 for UT Martin students with their university ID. Only one ticket can be purchased with each student ID.

SKYHAWK BASKETBALLSeason Tickets on Sale Now!

CALL 731-881-7207

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UT Martin Percussion Ensemble to present PASIC preview concertThe UT Martin Percussion

Ensemble will preview their Percussive Arts Society International Convention performance at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 6, in the university’s Harriet Fulton Theater, located inside the Fine Arts Building.

The ensemble recently won the Percussive Arts Society’s

FINDING THEIR RHYTHM – The UT Martin Percussion Ensemble is shown rehearsing their Percussive Arts Society International Convention performance with the help of visiting artist Mohamed Da Costa (center).

International World Percussion Competition in the university showcase category for the first time in school history. They will perform at 2 p.m., Nov. 10, during the society’s international convention in Indianapolis, Ind.

The PASIC preview concert will include music from

Brazil, Zimbabwe, West Africa and Trinidad, among other countries. The concert also features an appearance by the UT Martin Dance Ensemble, directed by Sarah McCormick, UT Martin associate professor of dance, and background artwork by Lane Last, UT Martin professor of art, and his

students. Tickets are $10 for adults and

$5 for UT Martin and local students. Children 12 and under enter free of charge. Ticket sales will be used to offset travel costs for students performing during the convention.

Correction: UT Martin Sick Leave Bank – quarter ending Sept. 30, 2016

Information on the UT Martin Sick Leave Bank was given incorrectly in the Oct. 24 issue of Addenda. The corrected information follows.

Sick Leave Bank membership began the quarter with 197

members and ended with 208 members, adding 16 and terminating five. One request for 240 hours was granted and no requests were denied.

The banked ended the quarter with 6,205.39 hours remaining.

The UT Martin Sick Leave Bank operates on a fiscal-year calendar, so the July-Sept. quarter is the first for this bank year. Contact Phillip Bright, Office of Human Resources, at 731-881-7845 for more information.

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•Oct. 31 – Woodwind Spooktacular concert; Blankenship Recital Hall; 7:30 p.m.•Nov. 1 – Treble honor choir concert; Blankenship Recital Hall; 6:30 p.m.•Nov. 5 – City of Martin Veteran’s Day Parade; University Street; 9 a.m.•Nov. 6 – Flute studio recital; Blankenship Recital Hall; 3 p.m.•Nov. 6 – Adolphe Sax Birthday Celebration Recital; Student Life Center; 5 p.m.•Nov. 6 – PASIC preview percussion and dance performance; Harriet Fulton Theatre; 7:30 p.m.; admission•Nov. 7-15 – Advising and early registration for spring 2017 semester•Nov. 7 – Women’s basketball vs. Christian Brothers University; exhibition game; Elam Center; 5:30 p.m.•Nov. 7 – Men’s basketball vs. Transylvania University; exhibition game; Elam Center; 7:30 p.m.

Calendar

•Question – When does an employee become eligible for longevity pay?

•Answer – An employee who has completed three years at full-time equivalent status (82.05 percent time or more) with the University of Tennessee or any other state agency is eligible to receive longevity pay. The first payment will be received in the month following the employee’s three-year work anniversary, on or around the 19th day of the month. Employees will receive $100 times the number of eligible service years, with a maximum level of 30 service years. Longevity pay is subject to federal income tax withholding and Social Security/Medicare taxes. For specific information about personal eligibility, contact the UT Martin Office of Human Resources at 731-881-7845 or consult human resources policy 0432, effective July 1, 2013.

Submit your questions to the Suggestion Box link at www.utm.edu.

You Tell Me

addendaPublished weekly during the academic year and biweekly during the summer by

UT Martin, Martin, TN 38238Dr. Joseph DiPietro – President, University of Tennessee System

Dr. Robert M. Smith – Interim Chancellor • Erin Chesnut – Addenda Editor UT Martin is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA employer.

E05-0425-00-001-16

Holidays and special events schedule

There are several special holiday closings scheduled for the end of the calendar year, as well as many important dates to note. Please keep these in mind.

•Nov. 24-25 – Thanksgiving•Dec. 5-9 – Finals week•Dec. 10 – Commencement; Elam Center; 11 a.m.•Dec. 26-30 – Winter Holiday•Jan. 2 – New Year’s Day observed•Jan. 3 – Chancellor Keith Carver’s first day •Jan. 16 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day

UT ADVOCACY – University of Tennessee System President Joe DiPietro (left) and Cary Whitworth, director for advocacy, UT Office of Government Relations and Advocacy, directed a seminar titled “Advocacy 101” on the UT Martin main campus Oct. 24. The presentation discussed current political issues affecting the UT System and its campuses and suggested ways for UT employees to make an impact in the resolution of these issues. The event was held in the Champion’s Club Room of the new academic space/press box facility at Hardy M. Graham Stadium.